Marriage Bites
by JennieJoy72
Summary: On assignment in Florida as Mr. and Mrs. Steadman. Set first season. M for later chapters. Since this is in first season AU could be applied. Please read and review.
1. Marriage Bites

**Note: This is closer I would say to an AU story. I have this taking place in Season one. This is definitely rated M for a number of reasons in later chapters. Hope you enjoy. As with all my stories feel free to review after reading.**

**Chapter One**

**Marriage Bites**

Amanda King walked into the bullpen looking every bit of the calm and nurturing woman that everyone at the Agency had come to know and like; she sat her purse down and picking up a file from the stack she had she turned as she saw Lee Stetson walking in and coming toward her she flung the file at him and said, "Take this damn thing and shove it, Stetson!"

Lee barely caught the file being huddled toward him from across the room then he saw and heard where it came from. He stormed over to Amanda and through gritted teeth exclaimed, "What in the hell is wrong with you?! You are way out of line Amanda King."

"Am I Lee Stetson? I don't think so because the way I see it is that now you have what you want I don't have to worry about you waking my family at three in the morning."

Lee noticed all the eyes that were on them and he was beginning to feel uncomfortable having this argument in front of his co-workers. "Amanda, can we please go in the conference room and talk this out?"

"You can do what you want; I have to go see Mr. Melrose." She went to leave and found that she was trapped between Lee and the desk, "Will you please move out of the way so I am not late for my meeting?"

Lee moved but before she got too far away he reached out and grabbed her arm and made her face him whispering he said, "We are not done with this; is that understood Mrs. King?" Amanda didn't miss the tone of superiority in his voice and she just nodded and with a smile on her face she said, "Not by half, Mr. Stetson."

Pulling her arm free she walked over and knocked on Billy's door unaware that he watched the whole exchange between the two.

"Mrs. King, how are you today?"

"Better now thank you Sir, now you told me on the phone yesterday that you had an assignment for me?"

"Yes but after what I just saw out there I may have to rethink the assignment."

Blushing Amanda said, "Sir, I am sorry you had to see that and that it even had to happen. I take full responsibility for my actions."

"Amanda, I know Lee can be a bit rough around the edges but he wasn't always like this."

"I know about his partner; he told me the first time we worked together; not on purpose, but he all the same. Sir is the assignment with Lee?" She asked calmly.

"Yes Amanda it is. You had mentioned that your boys were going on a trip this week and I thought it would be perfect for you to do. The assignment would entail you and Lee to pose as a married couple. I know that makes you uncomfortable but you have a way of making him seem like a normal person for lack of a better word. You really do work well together."

Amanda looked at Billy and then out to the man they were discussing; who at the moment seemed more interested in what was going on Billy's office than the file Amanda had flung at him that was so important only hours ago. She noticed that the longer they looked at each other the less mad she was at him and his expressions seemed more relaxed and calming.

"How does he do it?" She asked not realizing she had said it out loud.

"How does he do what Mrs. King?"

Coming back to her present company she asked, "Besides being married what is the cover?"

"You will be posing as a wedding planner scouting the resort for potential clients who will be arriving in a few days to make their final decision for a venue; Lee will be posing as your husband and is using the time for vacation from his job as a government official."

"You want people to know he is in the government?"

"Yes, he will be there for the purpose of obtaining and passing information to our Florida office contact. He works in the resort and will be the only one that knows who Lee really is. He knows Lee will have someone with him posing as his wife but he should never contact you at all. Your job is to take an appointment with the manager and then when you clients, Desmond and Calhoun, show they will meet with you and then decide that Florida is not the destination they want and until they find the right destination then can't even set a date."

"I get it, so I am there to give Lee a cover and do nothing else?"

"Sure think of it as a vacation, sit by the pool, have a few cocktails, and get a tan."

"Does Lee know that it is me you want him to work with?" She asked and looked at Lee again who was still looking in on their meeting.

"I think he is getting the idea. Can you do it?"

"Of course I can do it."

"Will you do it?"

Looking at Billy and then at Lee she nodded; for half a second she thought he actually smiled, only half a second though.

She walked out of the office and headed straight for Lee and said, "Conference room Stetson." He stood and followed her without cause or complaint; Billy watched from his office and just chuckled to his self as he sat down and began to go over the files on his desk.

Inside the conference room Lee sat on the side of the table and watched as Amanda closed the blinds; she didn't want an audience for what she had in mind.

"Amanda do you really think you need to close the blinds?"

"Yes, I don't particularly care for people watching me as I talk in private with someone."

"I wasn't…"

"Don't even try Stetson, you were and that is that. Now about that all important file that you needed at three this morning; did you get what you needed from it?"

"Yes, thank you." He said quietly.

"Now about this new assignment Billy has us on that begins tomorrow; I will pretend to be married top you, but you are not going to make fun of me, push me around, or bully me. If I ask you a question it is because I want to learn not interfere, don't look at me with that tone. I am not going to tolerate your superior attitude this whole week."

Coming closer to her he placed his hands on her shoulders, looked her directly in the eyes and said, "Amanda are you going to handle us sleeping in the same bed because I have no intention of sleeping in a utility closet or a couch."

Swallowing hard she said, "I can be just as professional as you; do you really think you are so impressive that I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off you? You seem to be the one touching me not the other way around."

Her words scorched his ego and he released her and walked toward the door and said, "As long as we understand. A car will be picking you up in the morning around seven."

Amanda went home to tell her mother and the boys about her trip for work and to get ready and make sure the boys had everything for their trip and after they left Amanda went and took a long hot bath and went to bed.

_She stood in the middle of a dance floor and she felt his hands on her waist as he pulled her toward him. He wouldn't turn her around he just began to guide her in the dance of ages. His hands moved from her waist to her hips. His lips went to her neck and she felt his tongue and teeth teasing her, awaking her body like no one ever had. He whispered her name on her neck and asked for her completely. She turned to respond and all she could see were the most perfect pair of hazel eyes and as his lips touched hers…"_

The alarm was beeping six in the morning as Amanda sat up and turned it off, pulled herself from bed and went to get ready for a week as Lee Stetson's wife. "What have I gotten into with this man?"


	2. Hotel Check In

**MB Chapter 2**

_He couldn't help it; he was falling into the dark rich eyes of the woman beneath him. He felt his heart pound hard in his chest as her hands slid down his back. He leaned closer to her and took the passionate kiss she offered him. His tongue plunged into her mouth and danced with a reaction he wasn't expecting. She meet his stroke for stroke, building the moment to then let it settle and then bring the flames higher than before. He slid his hand down her lean leg to rest his palm…_

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. Lee slammed his hand over the alarm going off in his ear. He reached up and wiped the moisture from his face; with further inspection he noticed that his body had responded to the fact that he was having an erotic dream about Amanda King. "What am I thinking?" Pulling the sheet from his sexually aroused body he went to shower.

Twenty minutes later he was dressed in a pair of jeans, a comfortable tee shirt, and his favorite cowboy boots. He was just finishing his coffee when his doorman called up to let him now that a car was here for him. He opened the door to the car to be met by the same eyes that he was dreaming of earlier. He wondered if she could read his mind because the minute she looked at him she blushed some and then turned her head.

"Good morning, Lee?" She asked in her usually chipper morning self and then Lee was back to normal; she was a morning person and he wasn't.

"I am awake at least but no I had some trouble sleeping." Silently he added 'it is hard to sleep on a stiff erection'.

"Oh, okay." Why does her mouth have to make that perfect little O when she talks? He wondered as he watched her pull out a book and began to read.

"Amanda, what are you reading?"

"Just a book mother gave me for the plane ride, it is called **Come Love Me**; yes I know it is a romance novel but it will pass the time on the plane. Mother just loves these stories, but I haven't had any time lately to read and I usually read more historical things, you know I was an English Lit major in college, but I didn't have any new books so mother gave me a few of hers."

"You have more of those books with you?"

"A few," she looked at his raised eyebrow at her reading selection and said, "Oh, shut up."

His soft laugh made her entire body go weak. Does he not know what that laugh does to a woman?

They sat in silence the rest of the way to the airport and without the knowledge of the other both of their thoughts went to their dreams and how to get through the week ahead of them.

A car was waiting for them at the airport and Lee said, "Here, honey let me get our bags while you go and wait with the car service." He leaned and kissed her cheek; the look in his eyes gave her a moment to pause and ask, "Lee, are you okay?"

Recovering he said, "Amanda, honey, I am fine. I will be with you after I get our bags." "Okay." She walked away and he saw that she brought her hand up to her cheek where he had kissed her and that made him smile.

In the car their cover continued with an ease Lee didn't think Amanda could pull off. "Sweetheart, I know I have some business to conduct until my clients arrive in a few days but I want you to relax and enjoy yourself. Lee, darling you haven't had a real vacation in a while. I promise we will have plenty of time together."

"I know I just wish that we could spend the whole time together, believe it or not I do enjoy being with my wife." Lee reached over and took her hands in his and ran his thumb over them.

Amanda leaned in close and laid her head on his shoulder. That morning she decided that she was going to play this part and relax and enjoy it. If it meant having to spend time in Lee Stetson's arms every now and then what could it hurt? Lee pulled her close and thought, 'she is playing this perfect, not the usual Amanda nervousness'.

At the hotel Lee and Amanda checked in and Amanda doubled checked her appointment time with the manager for later that afternoon and then they went to their room. Amanda was impressed as she checked the room out as Lee checked for listening devices. He didn't find any and gave her the all clear.

"Okay, I didn't find anything so just remember that every time we come back in I have to check the room. Amanda, you don't have to meet with the manager until after lunch, what are you planning on doing?"

"Exactly what Mr. Melrose told me to do, sit by the pool and have a cocktail or two; what will you be doing?" You if I am lucky he thought and then tried to shake the thought out of his head.

"I really don't have anything to do until tonight so would you care if I joined you at the pool for a cocktail?" Without showing her excitement she said casually, "Well, it would probably help our cover if you did. I just want to unpack first and then get ready."

They unpacked in silence but if anyone had been watching it would have looked like any other couple that had been together for years, they moved around one another as the other put things in closets and drawers. Amanda turned to find Lee holding up and almost fondling her bikini in his hand and when his eyes looked at her she said with a laugh in her voice, "I don't think it will fit you Steadman."

"No, I was just wondering if it was going to fit you, this thing is microscopic. Do you really think I want people ogling my wife at the pool? I mean I already can't leave you alone at an embassy party for long before men are swarming like bees to honey."

She laughed harder at his declaration, "Lee, it is a swim suit and it is the only one I brought. You will just have to protect me I guess; now give that here I need to change."

She walked over to take the suit from him but he held it away from her and she had to rise up on her toes to try and get it from his hand. "Lee, give me my suit." She was inches from his mouth and her eyes went there as she saw him lick his lips as he said, "Go buy another one; a one piece in the hotel shop." Lee's tone of voice was calm but rather strong in his demand all the while trying to sound like he was asking.

"No, now give me my suit." Amanda stood her ground and again tried to grab for the two pieces clutched in his hand.

"Amanda," he whispered against her ear, "please," he begged her this time.

"Why should I?" Knowing if he said the right words she would do anything he asked of her.

'Because I need you to' was what his brain was screaming but what came out of his mouth was, "I am the senior agent and I make the rules."

Amanda closed her eyes counted to ten and then jumped up, grabbed the suit, ran into the bathroom and locked the door. "Oh that man!"

Lee exclaimed to himself as he heard the lock click on the bathroom door before he could get to her, "Oh that woman!"

Amanda began to walk out of the bathroom from changing her clothes and noticed Lee in the middle of changing into his own swim trunks. He was standing naked and free as he pulled his shorts from the drawer where he placed them earlier and she took in the whole sight of the man. She watched as his body bent to slip one leg in and then the other giving her the best view of both his ass and impressive manhood. She gathered her courage and walked from the room and went to get her cover up and flip flops.

"Nice shorts, sweetheart."

Lee stared after her all the way from the bathroom to her dresser to get the short pink cover up and matching flip flops. "Does the suit still look microscopic?" She asked him. YES he wanted to scream but he said instead, "If you want to parade around like that then I guess I can't stop you."

She never showed it but his comment had hurt her, she liked the fact that after two kids, a divorce and dealing with him for almost a year she thought she looked pretty good. Any other woman would have been as big as a barn by now.

"Lee Steadman, go to hell." She stormed from the room and went straight to the pool bar and ordered herself a drink. With her drink and book in hand she found a nice warm lounge chair and began to read. That is where Lee found her while still trying to figure out what he had said to her to make her mad. Before he could leave the bar with his drink to join his 'wife' he noticed a man walk over to her and offered to put sunscreen on her so she didn't burn. He didn't give Amanda the chance to answer before stepping up and saying, "I can take care of that she is my wife after all. Baby, I thought we were going down together?" He leaned down to make his point clear to the man and kissed her on the lips, when she bit at his bottom lip he smiled and raised his eyebrow at her as if to say 'wait until later'.

"I just couldn't wait any longer. It looked so nice out here I just had to get out in the sun."

Lee started to lean back to enjoy the sun when Amanda rolled over and asked, "Lee, honey, could you rub this sunscreen on my back?"

Lee set his drink down and took the bottle from Amanda. His fingers began at her shoulders and began to slowly rub the lotion in as he moved toward her center back. He flicked his finger under the center clasp and it came easily undone, a Lee Stetson hidden talent, as he continued lower down her back to the top of her bikini bottoms.

"Honey, how does that feel?"

Amanda moaned as she said, "Wonderful keep going to the backs of my legs please?"

"Okay, you asked for it." He whispered in her ear and he saw the goose bumps spread over her skin. "Yes I did, Lee, now please continue." 'What did they put in her drink?' he thought as his hands continued.

His put more lotion on his hands and began to rub at the apex of her legs as he did his fingertips grazed the center of her being briefly and then moved lower to the back of her knees and all the way to her feet where he began to tickle her for a second before she gave him that stop it look, the one he knew she meant because he had seen her give it to her sons before.

He laid back and rubbed some lotion over his chest and he noticed that Amanda watched as he did. He didn't know if it was the dream that was making him push his boundaries with her or maybe he was just trying to get the Amanda he knew back. The lady he was with since the plane ride was someone he wasn't used to. Amanda had been laughing, picking up on his jokes, and drinking; she was already on her second drink. She didn't even correct him when he undid her top or as his hands explored more than he really intended to.

They spent the morning relaxing and after a brief swim Amanda swam over to him and wrapped her arms and legs around him so he would have to hold her under her bottom; she leaned toward him and said, "I need to go and shower before lunch and my meeting, don't stay out to long or you will burn." Placing a kiss on his mouth she took full advantage of being undercover, moving her hips slowly against his.

Lee gave himself a full two minutes to recuperate from Amanda's departing kiss before he got out of the pool to follow her; he was about to find out what happened to the real Amanda King or he was about to have one hell of a nooner with the woman in his room and later in his bed.

Lee had made it almost all the way to the elevator before a familiar voice caught his attention; it was his contact he was supposed to meet with later that night. The man took notice of Lee and began to walk over to him, "Mr. Steadman, I have a message for you." The man slipped a piece of paper in his hand and Lee thank him and told him if he was around later then he would give him a tip, he didn't have his money on him at the moment.

"Yes, thank you Mr. Steadman." The man walked away and Lee got on the elevator and ten as fast as he could he went to his room and read the note, 'Headache, not tonight will try again tomorrow. Do let your wife know'. Okay so now Lee had all afternoon to spend with his wife in bed if she was as willing as she had been at the pool.

He heard the shower running and as he made quick work of sweeping the room he found that now they did have a bug in their room and he would take care of that, after he told Amanda about it, she needed to know before she got out of the shower, right? Right, whistling he stripped off his swim shorts and proceeded to the bathroom; smiling he found the door unlocked.


	3. Afternoon Delight

Okay time to turn on the air conditioners and the Oh My Gosh alerts, things are getting dirty in here. Enjoy! Please if you read shoot me a review, good, bad, indifferent, public or private. I love to know what people think.

**MB Chapter 3**

Lee opened the bathroom door to find Amanda's silhouetting figure behind the shower curtain; climbing in behind her he noticed she jumped just slightly and he began to think he misunderstood her at the pool. Placing his hands on her shoulders he leaned in and asked, "Is this okay?" Nodding she leaned back into him as he pulled her close and said, "Turn around Amanda face me."

She did as he asked and he drank in her naked form in front of him. She was beautiful; he splayed his hands over her tight stomach then wrapped them around her and pulled her against him. He wanted to feel her against him more than he wanted to breathe at that moment. His lips found her neck and he teased her until he heard the tiny moans begin to escape her. His response to that was instant and she placed her hands between them and began her own exploration of his growing interest.

She was the one who found his mouth and possessed it; taking it she began to suck on his tongue, giving Lee a different idea of what he wanted her to suck. "Did you know that your mouth makes a perfect little O; it is very erotic."

"Oh, really; if you think that is erotic then wait until you see what I can do with that perfect O." While Amanda was saying this she placed his middle finger in her mouth and continued to tease Lee beyond anything he had ever felt. "If you don't stop that then we are never going to get to what I had in mind when I came in here."

"What is it that you had in mind?" She asked smiling.

"This." He said as he spread her legs and inserted his finger in her center while rubbing his thumb over the aching nub at her core. His reward was her eyes closing and her moans getting louder. Amanda plunged her hands in Lee's hair to steady her weakening balance. He watched as her breathing became more labored; he began to feel her body clench around his fingers. When he could tell she was about to fall over the edge he withdrew his fingers and filled her with all of him. Inserting himself slowly he accomplished the goal of making her release come full force as soon as he was deep inside her. Giving her a short time to adjust to the feel of him; he began to move. Amanda met him thrust for thrust; never taking her eyes from him, she watched every emotion he allowed to show. She saw the nervousness, the confidence, the boy, the man, and finally she saw the lover. The lover in him that let her know that she wasn't wrong in trusting her body to him, she knew that he would take and he would give; when it was over no one but the two of them would know what happened.

Amanda was on the verge of falling off the cliff when Lee kissed along her neck and whispered on her skin, "fall with me, let go Amanda"; she did let go and she drifted to a place she had never been before and feared she would never be again; grateful she at least made the journey once.

Lee was holding her in his arms and whispering in her ear but she couldn't think, hear, or even speak to tell him she had no idea what he was talking about. Finally, she was able to barely say, "I haven't heard a word you have just said; what was it you were talking about sweetheart?" Smiling at her he said, "I said remind me that I need to kill a bug I found."

She knew what he meant and just shook her head and then she picked up the washcloth and soap and after lathering the cloth she began to run it over his chest; he stood stock still as she washed him. With every scar she found she traced it with her finger and kissed the puckered skin. Lee had never felt so exposed and yet with Amanda it seemed natural and almost healing.

When she was done washing him from head to toe, he took the cloth from her and began at the top washing her hair and then moved lower. Her neck was still red from him, her lips swollen; he couldn't believe she had given life twice with how perfectly flat her stomach was. He reached her hip and he noticed her birthmark that was shaped like a tiny heart. He took his thumb and traced the outside of the birthmark and said, "I'm going to kiss that later."

"Okay, I can't wait."

He continued to clean her as he worked down her legs and the back up her body from behind and as he made it to her rear end he lightly smacked it and said "I am going to bite that to pay you back for biting my lip at the pool."

"Okay, do what you have to do."

"Who are you and where do you have Amanda King?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist before kissing her forehead one more time and turning off the water.

"I could always call her back; you two seem to get along together." Amanda replied sarcastically.

"We would if she was as agreeable to things as you are, Mrs. Steadman."

Laughing and swatting him away from her she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her beginning to become more of the Amanda King he knew. Lee left her to dress and was sitting at the table in their dining area looking at the bug he had found. He wasn't ready to tell Amanda he thought it was one of theirs; not after what happened in the shower. He would talk to Billy first.

"Find anything else?" She asked as she sat down on his lap.

Smiling he said, "Not in here, what time is your meeting again?" He began to nuzzle her neck again; he loved it when her hair was pulled up.

"After lunch around two, why what did you have in mind?"

"I thought I would take my fantastic wife out to lunch; what do you say Mrs. Steadman?"

"It sounds like a plan for some reason I am famished."

"So am I, funny huh?"

Laughing she slipped her shoes on and Lee put his hand at the small of her back and guided her out of their hotel room to get lunch. When lunch was over Lee went back to the room to call Billy and Amanda went to meet with the manager to complete her part of her cover.

"I understand that we can't meet until tomorrow night, I will let Amanda know like you asked. I hope your headache is better."

"Lee, it is starting to ease up, seen any interesting sights yet?"

For a second Lee thought he knew about him and Amanda in the shower and stuttered a second, "No, uh no I just found a spider in my shoe when I came back from the pool. Good thing Amanda didn't see it she would have freaked out she hates bugs."

"Was it a big one or little one?" Billy asked.

"Oh, it was just a little one, but even the smallest bugs get her to scream, I've seen one of these in our house before and she wouldn't go in the downstairs bathroom for days after I had taken care of it."

"Really; and to think I am house sitting for you two."

"I need to check on some things before Amanda gets back here later; I will be back in DC Sunday and hey do me a favor don't let Amanda know I called to check on business she will have my ass."

"Try _**not**_ to let that happen." Billy chuckled and hung up then went to find Francine Desmond. Lee hung up and made a mental note to do what he always did when Billy told him not to do something; he was going to make sure he did it.

Two hours later Amanda came in and looked at Lee who at the moment was stretched out on the bed sleeping. She couldn't help it she stood and watched as he slept and after a few minutes she turned to undress to join him while she heard him begin to talk in his sleep. "Manda, yes, please anything you want. Just let me touch you again. Manda"

She knelt next to him on the bed and pressed her lips over his sleep induced erection and took him in her mouth and hands. Lee's eyes flew open as he felt then saw Amanda working his body with her mouth and fingers. Her eyes looked at Lee in the most seductive sideway glance all Lee could do was lay back and let her work whatever erotic magic she was casting. He took his hand and began to rub her hip and leg in rhythm of her seductive strokes in and out of her mouth.

Amanda stopped long enough to place her hand on his chest and as she mounted him she smiled and began to set the pace for this round. The shower was intense but she wanted a slower side to Lee. Lee let Amanda set the rules of this round and he liked letting her take the control over; it was something he rarely allowed a woman to do. He liked to set the control and tempo but Amanda had a way of taking him to the brink of collapse and then calming his senses only to bring him back to the edge; she let him hang in limbo for a second and then she saw the pleading of release in his eyes and she rocked him over the edge as she fell with him. Lee opened his eyes to find himself still inside her and she was lying on his chest looking at him with those deep brown eyes that haunted his dreams.

"Amanda, you are full of surprises." Lee said as he placed a small kisses on her nose.

Smiling a tiny wicked smile she said, "No, I am full of Scarecrow."

Lee began to laugh making a whole new sensation flow through them both which led Lee to roll Amanda over on her back and began to move in her again and this time he wasn't as gentle as he had been. He was in charge of their lovemaking. He bit at Amanda's lip and neck; Lee then sat up on his knees, never allowing Amanda to leave him, having her straddle him as he continued his passionate assault until both cried the other's name and fell asleep in each other's arms.


	4. Aftermath

Sorry it has taken so long to post this latest chapter; my husband and I have been remodeling our home and it is just the two of doing the work. I can multitask pretty well but not type and paint at the same time. Hope you enjoy, please read and review.

**MB Chapter 4**

Lee woke up a couple of hours later and looked down at the woman in his arms; he began to think back as to how any of this had happened. It was never his intention to take Amanda King to bed. She wasn't the kind of person that had random affairs and slept around; she was the kind of person that baked cookies, helped with homework…

"Lee, why are you looking at me like that?" She asked and for the first time he wondered how long she had been awake. "How am I looking at you Amanda?" Lee mumbled.

"I don't know you just seem to have a strange look on your face? Are you okay?" She was worried he was feeling guilty about their day together and she really hoped he wasn't.

"Amanda, I'm fine, just fine. Are you hungry? It is still fairly early; we can get some dinner if you want or not if you don't want, we can, oh hell." Lee stopped his rambling and ran his hand through his hair and looked back at her.

The look he saw reflecting back at him in her eyes worried him; it looked as if she wanted to say something but was afraid to. "Will you please say something Amanda so I don't keep sticking my foot in my mouth?"

Seeing the guilt on his face she said, "What is it that you want me to say?"

"A-man-da," Lee drew out running his hands over his face and then he took her face in his hands and made her look him in the eyes, "tell me I am the biggest jerk you have ever meet in your life; that I am the lowest person to take advantage of you. Amanda, tell me something."

She placed a hand on his face and leaned up and kissed him before he could fully respond she got out of bed, picked up her clothes and went to the bathroom locking the door behind her. She stood with her back to the door and she heard Lee as he climbed from the bed. She could only assume he was dressing as fast as he could; running from the room. She tried to figure out why he was making such a big deal out of their day together; it wasn't like he had just taken her virginity, she did have two children after all.

She wiped the tears from her face and decided that if he wanted Amanda King he would get Amanda King, PTA mother and mundane housewife from Arlington. She stepped back into the living area and as she had suspected Lee was gone. Amanda picked up her key and went to the dining hall.

"Mrs. Steadman, will your husband be joining you?" The hostess asked. Slipping into character mode Amanda said, "Oh, I was just going ask that when my husband comes down could you tell him I decided to go for a walk on the beach before we eat."

"Yes, I will let him know as soon as I see him."

"Thank you."

Amanda continued out of the resort and made her way to the beach completely unaware of her partner watching her walk the beach from the balcony of their room. He noticed how graceful she was; her quietness spoke volumes. Lee knew he hurt her and it was never his objective to do that he just was trying to find out if she was as confused as he was. He had never experienced anything like he had with Amanda that day; even on his best night he had never gone three for three with any woman. What was it about Amanda that made him give her more than he had ever with any other woman? She drew information and passion from him as easily as she smiled at Francine Desmond.

He saw her sit down and he decided to join her and talk to her; he didn't want their day to ruin their growing friendship. He was becoming all too aware of how much he needed her in his life. He knew he wasn't ready to be more than what he was today with her but he knew he wasn't ready for her not to be there either; he just had to find a way to let her know that.

Lee reached the beach and found her sitting watching the waves roll in and out and the pink and purple hues as the sun set. "Amanda, are you ready to talk to me; I really need you to."

"Oh, Lee there is nothing to talk about. Are you ready for dinner? We can go back in and have a nice dinner."

"Amanda, we do need to talk. Aren't you the one always telling me to not hold things in; to just let things out?"

Amanda shook her head back and forth and said, "You obviously have something to say so why don't you start."

Lee felt nervous as she stood up, "Amanda, don't walk away again please."

"I'm not going anywhere. I am just going to make this easier for you." She then sat in front of him in between his legs, leaned into his chest and placed his arms around her. She was looking at the waves but said, "Now that I am not looking at you tell me what is on your mind. Just imagine you are talking to me on the phone or at a party where we aren't supposed to know each other."

She felt him laugh at that for a minute and then he exhaled a breath and he began. "Amanda, first off I want you to know that it never entered my mind to take you to bed on this assignment."

"I know."

"Why then did you allow me to?" Lee leaned over to look at her face; he realized he wanted to see her face and her eyes when he talked to her.

"Lee you took me by surprise not by force." She said glancing up at him.

"It sure as hell surprised me too."

"No," she said interrupting him, "I wasn't surprised by having sex; I was surprised by who I was having sex with."

Brushing her hair from her eyes he said, "Amanda, I don't understand what you mean by that."

"We have been on so many assignments where we are married or we get married that I figured on one of those assignments I would be in the bed of _Scarecrow Super Spy Stetson _instead I was having a triple sexual encounter with just Lee Stetson."

Amanda felt Lee stiffen defensively as she spoke of her expectations of sorts, "Sorry to disappoint you." He said quietly.

Turning to face him she placed her hands on either side of his face forcing him to look nowhere but into her deep brown eyes, eyes that haunted his dreams, and said, "I wasn't disappointed I was exhilarated that it was you and not the Scarecrow; if that makes sense."

He looked at her and after a minute he smiled and said, "Well then where does that leave us?"


	5. Back to Normal?

**MB Chapter 5**

He looked at her and after a minute he smiled and said, "Well then where does that leave us?"

"It leaves us still on a case and speaking of which don't you have to meet with someone tonight at dinner?"

"Actually as I was coming in from the pool today my contact gave me a note stating that we can't meet until tomorrow night."

She leaned in closer to him and said, "So we have the rest of the night and all day tomorrow to ourselves?"

Tightening his arms around her waist Lee leaned back in the sand pulling her with him so she was positioned above him and he said, "Yes, what do you want to do?"

Blushing slightly she said, "I want to go back to the hotel room with you, get in something comfy, have dinner in our room, and just talk."

Lee's hearty laugh made her give him a curious look and when he thought he had hurt her feelings again he quickly recovered and said, "That sounds perfect, I just thought that it was funny that after pretty much spending the day in the room naked with me that when you mentioned just talking with me you blushed."

Slapping at his shoulder Amanda said, "Oh, shut up and let's go." They both got to their feet and began to wipe the sand off themselves. When they turned to go back in Lee reached over to take her hand in his and Amanda looked at him and smiled. She felt better knowing that his only guilt about today was thinking he had done something wrong.

Lee stopped at the dining room and asked the hostess to send sandwiches and drinks to his room requesting to charge the meal to his room. When he got back to the lobby he found that Amanda was talking to the manager; when he walked up to them he heard her say, "I really did enjoy today. I have spoken with my clients and they will be arriving the day after tomorrow to view the resort and all we talked about. As I said before, they know they want a destination wedding, but they are a flighty couple, they keep changing the destination and the date. I suppose though when you have that kind of money you can do that." Amanda's natural laugh had Lee placing his arm around her waist and placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Honey, I thought you were done with business until your clients arrived."

"I am. The manager was just leaving for the day and saw me waiting for you and asked how I liked everything I saw and did today. I told him _all_ the attractions and activities today were wonderful and I was looking forward to finishing our vacation as soon as my clients arrive in a few days."

"No offense Mr. Hudson I hope you have a wonderful evening but I really do want to get back to spending time with my wife as you know our jobs really leave little time together."

Mr. Hudson nodded and gave his farewells and told Amanda to let him know when her clients arrived and he would personally help with the tour if she wanted. She told him she would let him know when they were ready to view the sights and wished him a happy and safe evening.

When the two got into the elevator Amanda turned to Lee and as sternly as possible without melting under his intense gaze she said, "What in the world was that all about?"

"I told you I can't leave you alone for five minutes without men flocking to you. It happened today at the pool and just now in the lobby."

"Those were two different situations all together. At the pool I didn't know you would come down and I just ran into Mr. Hudson because you left me to go place an order that could have been done in the room. So really both incidents could be considered your fault, all of them actually, if you don't want men _flocking_ to me then don't give them an opportunity to find me alone."

Lee heard her mocking tone and in turn said, "You know it really isn't polite to talk to your _superior_ in that manner. It could have serious repercussions on your part."

"One could only hope." She said smiling and wiggling her eyebrows at him. "Although those repercussions could back fire as they did earlier so I think maybe…"

She was cut off by Lee covering her mouth with his. She instantly pulled him closer and plunged her fingers through his hair and began to caress that spot at the nape of his neck that made him groan and say, "Amanda, are you sure all you want to do tonight will be to talk?"

"Not all night."

"Good, because I can't seem to get enough of you Amanda; I want more. Do you think we will ever be able to go back to normal after this week?"

The elevator stopped and when the doors opened on their floor an elderly couple stepped on then as Amanda and Lee exited then both smiled as they heard the older woman say, "Remember when we were like that?"

"Who says we still aren't?" Lee caught a glimpse of the man pulling his wife close and kissing her fully and completely; this made Lee smile.

"Amanda," he said as he put his key in the lock "I think we have corrupted the elderly."

"With you I am finding out that anything is possible."

Their sandwiches arrived and Amanda went to set up on the balcony table for them; this was where Lee found her. He stood in the balcony doorway watching her and after a moment he said, "You never did answer my question, Amanda."

"I never got the chance; let's eat then we'll see if we can an answer to your question."


	6. Dinner Conversation

**MB Chapter 6**

Lee and Amanda sat together but both were alone in their thoughts; even though they were sharing the same thoughts. As Lee picked at the last of his chips and beer, his gaze went to Amanda. She seemed so lost in her thoughts. He never thought he would miss her rambling on and on. He knew it was the way her thought process worked.

"Amanda, are you done?" Lee asked as he stood and went to clear her plate that she hadn't eaten anything off of in ten minutes.

"Yes, thank you."

He returned a few moments later and found her still on the balcony. "I wonder what is so fascinating about those waves that have you watching them so intently. I found you watching them on the beach, during dinner, and now. I would think that one of your romance novels you brought would hold more of your interest than those waves down there."

"It is one of the things in my life that calms me. Don't you have anything in your life that calms you, Lee?"

Sitting down he said quietly, "I recently found out that I have at least one person in my life that calms me; even when that same person is driving me crazy."

Amanda smiled and said, "I don't mean sexual calm, Lee. I mean that deep inner peaceful calm that makes you get a good night's sleep; that place you go in your head that makes the nightmares stop and makes the insane seem sane."

"Amanda, I wasn't talking about sexual calmness either; I was talking about that inner peace that makes me feel safe. I never really had that after the age of five. My parents were there one minute tucking me in and telling me that they would see me later the next I was learning how to properly make a bed and learn that friends aren't something that everyone is allowed to have because you move every six months to a year."

"Are you saying I give you that inner peace?"

"Sometimes and then at other times you are the reason I feel the need to drink myself to sleep."

"Thanks, I think."

"Trust me it is a compliment; I don't drink near as much as I did before meeting you. You are like no one I have ever known before. You trust me blindly and have from the moment we met; I still don't understand that. You know for a fact how dangerous what we do is and yet you refuse to stay in the car when I tell you to."

"You would be dead if I stayed in the car and this conversation would be a moot point and I would be typing field notes for Francine and you know I am not letting that happen."

"Yes on a few occasions I have been grateful for the times that you chose not to stay in the car; except that as a field agent I take responsibility of my actions and if that means dying then I have to die. I don't have the life you have; you can't die."

"I can't die doing something I believe in as much as you because I have children; is that what you are telling me?"

"I guess I am. Do you know that if you die in the line of duty as a civilian all your family gets is a blanketed standard explanation of how you were in an accident; not protecting your family or country. Do you really want that?"

"No, but I don't want you to think that I have not taken this job seriously. I have; I wrote letters to Mother, Joe, the boys each have one, and also to you."

His head could have broken the sound barrier as quickly as he had snapped it in her direction. "Amanda, why write one to me?"

"Lee, if anything ever happened to me you would do nothing but blame yourself and you know it. I don't want that for you. I want you to know the truth of the matter and so I told it to you."

"What did you tell me?"

"When I die in the line of duty you can read it until then you will just have to let me have this one. How old were you when you lost your virginity?"

"Talk about shifting gears, fifteen, why do you want to know?"

"Just making conversation; was if good?"

Lee felt embarrassed as he tried to even remember the girl's name much less if it was a good experience. "Amanda, I really can't say."

"Is it classified?"

Laughing he said, "No, not classified but I barely remember it or sadly the girl's name. What about you?"

"Sixteen, Billy Daniels, I thought by breaking my Daddy's biggest rule of saving myself for marriage would bring him back after he died just so he could get after me. It was all hands and fumbling; Billy didn't know anything and I knew even less. My best friend had sex before me and she told me that it hurt so much; with Billy it stung but nothing more than a bee sting."

"Was that the only time before marring Joe?"

"No there was one other time before Joe in college; it wasn't much better. It was after that time I decided that maybe I just wasn't cut out to enjoy the sexual act between a man and a woman. I never had an orgasm with either of them. Even with Joe after we were married it was hit or miss for me. I mean he was my husband he tried and I lied at times to not make him feel bad. It just seem like at times we weren't connecting at you need a connection I think for both people to get there."

"Did we connect or were you just being nice to make my ego feel good?" Lee asked not knowing if he wanted to hear the answer.

"Well in the shower it took forever for me to hear anything you were saying because I was so far gone it took time to come back to Earth, in bed the first time it was a the first time I had ever been allowed to try things I had always wanted to try and that kind of power could go to a person's head. The last time was more primal; like we weren't going to ever get there and yet when we did it was just as great as the other times. I have never gone that many times in a week of marriage before much less in one day," quietly she added avoiding his gaze, "and still needing and wanting more."

"More?"

"Yes; isn't that what you were talking about in the elevator? You said you wanted more, why?"

"You pull information and energy from me like no one I have ever known. From the beginning I have given you more than I had friends I had known for years. I never talked about my late partner with people I had just met and was trying not to ever see again. No woman has ever gotten more than two rounds with me without being graciously taken home or at least I walked them to the cab waiting for them. With you today I felt like freaking Superman; unlimited energy and sexual desire. I find that once again you are pulling something from deep inside me that I never knew was there."

"Lee, I feel the same way. I have never felt the things I felt before or at least as intensely."

"Amanda, I also find that if I am not actively doing something for this case, which I haven't had a chance to yet, I want to be with you." Noticing the look in her eyes he continued, "Amanda, not just in the bed; there is always the floor, the dining room table, out here." His deep laugh made her begin to laugh as well. "Amanda, I enjoy talking to you; you are an amazing friend. That is why I asked you do you think when we get home if things were going to be okay."

"It isn't like you to worry about an office fling; why are you worried now?"

"Because I never cared for those women and I do care about you; we're friends and I just hope we still are when this week and case is over."

Amanda took in what he was saying and it made her feel good. She knew that he wasn't the stick around kind of man and that after this week he would more than likely be his old self and the question she had been asking herself was if she could handle seeing him day and day out.

"Lee, you are right we are friends and I don't want to lose that so we just have to make sure that today doesn't change things."

"It does change things, Amanda. It changes everything."

She stood and said, "It doesn't have to, Lee…"

She was cut off as Lee stood and pulled her against his body and locking eyes with her and said, "It could be; because I know what I can give you and in kind I know what I can't and you deserve a man that can give you what I can't."

"Lee, why can't I just have what you can give me now and sort the rest out later."

Lee held out as long as he could before picking her up in his arms and carrying her to the bed, "Are you okay for this Amanda or are you too sore?"

"Don't talk, Lee right now; just make those feelings come back." He was surprised by her force and urgency. She tore his shirt from him and made a fast work of throwing it across the room and grabbed for his waistband of his jeans. "Amanda, slow down. We are due back in DC for six more days."

His lips landed on her neck and slowly traced his tongue over her pulse point; she felt her pulse increase to the pressure of his tongue. She moved her hips upward in response to the feeling he was evoking inside her. All she knew was that she wanted this and if tonight was it then she would deal with the repercussions later.

His fingers slowly teased her skin lightly tracing up and down her arms, "Do you know you are incredibly sexy?"

"Very funny but at this moment I don't think you have to sweet talk me."

"I wasn't. Yesterday in the conference room you were right I was the one touching you and last night I dreamt of you in my arms as I made love to you."

"Don't you have to be in love to make love?" Her eyes avoided his as she asked him the question.

Leaning his head until he could look in her eyes he said, "Yes." His lips were on hers again and he finished with their clothes and then began kissing her down her neck again trailing lower until he reached his destination.

"Lee!" Amanda cried out as he kissed the center of her and continued his oral assault on her sex. He greedily licked and sucked sending Amanda on a roller coaster of highs and lows until she broke and called his name over and over. He moved up and entered her slowly and said, "So what do you want now?" Trying to focus on his words and his eyes she could barely speak when she said, "You, only you Lee."

Lee's heart tightened when she asked for him and that is what he gave her. Lee couldn't describe the feeling running through him. It had never been like this with anyone he was on fire and yet her kisses only fueled the flames instead of extinguishing them. He fit so perfectly in her. His hands were tangled in hers and he couldn't tell where his ended and hers began. Joining her in their release Lee Stetson knew that for as long as he lived no other man would know what it would feel like in her arms or her body.


	7. Making Contact

**MB Chapter 7**

The next morning Amanda woke up to find she was entangled in Lee's arms and legs. She laid there a moment to enjoy the feel of him wrapped around her. After a few moments she carefully extracted herself and went to take her shower. Half way through Lee came in and said, "Why did you leave?"

"To shower and I am starving, I plan on ordering coffee and breakfast when I get done in here. Is there anything we need to do today for the case?"

"Not until dinner. I thought we might take in a little sightseeing if you wanted and then maybe you could find something for the boys and your mother."

Amanda was touched that he thought of her family even though they were here working. "That would be nice." She said as she turned off the water and stepped from the shower to see Lee standing at the sink completely naked and shaving. He stopped briefly to hand her a towel. "Do you care to order me something to eat too while you order your breakfast?"

"You don't eat breakfast, Lee."

"I do after the four workouts I had yesterday." He said smiling and even with shaving cream on his face she could still see his dimples. She wanted to kiss him; if she was completely honest even as sore as she was from the day before she still wanted him.

"Okay then what can I order for you?"

"Coffee obviously and maybe eggs, toast, bacon, and some OJ please."

"You got it Scarecrow but I am writing this one down in the history books, all it takes to get Lee to eat breakfast is four rounds of sex."

"Funny, very funny" he said as he lightly slapped her on the ass as she walked into the bedroom to get dressed and order breakfast.

Amanda had just finished dressing when she heard a knock at the door assuming it was room service. The moment she opened the door her mouth was covered with a cloth and even if she had time to scream, Lee wouldn't have heard it anyway because he was already in the shower.

Lee came out hoping to find breakfast already but instead he found the room empty. Slipping on his clothes he began to wonder where Amanda went; she wouldn't have just left without leaving a note or at least coming in to tell him. Opening the door Lee came face to face with the room service waiter and Lee asked, "Good morning, by any chance did you happen to see my wife in the lobby?"

"No, Sir, I have not seen your wife but I was the one that spoke with her and took your order."

"You can just leave the tray on the table please." Lee took the check from him and signed off on it as the waiter did as Lee requested. Lee started to get that feeling in his stomach he always did when he would ask Amanda to stay in the car knowing full well she wouldn't. Picking up the phone Lee called down to the front desk and asked if anyone had seen his wife down there or around the gift shop. He was told that she hadn't been seen and Lee thanked them.

Picking the phone up again Lee dialed Billy, "When are Francine and Percy arriving?"

"In the morning after you get your information tonight why?"

"Get them out here now, I think we have been set up and somehow Amanda is getting mixed in it again."

"Lee, what do you mean?"

"She is missing Billy. I was the last one to see her as she got out of the shower this morning. She was going to get dressed and order breakfast; well she got breakfast ordered because it arrived as I was done getting ready."

"Who else have you checked with since seeing Amanda leave the shower?" Billy asked and Lee cringed at the knowledge of what he had inadvertently revealed to his boss.

"The room service waiter, the maids on the floor, the front desk clerks, and the gift shop clerks."

"Well, while I do feel that one of them would have noticed Amanda don't you think you might be jumping the gun here?"

"No, something has happened and I need to know what; usually I know what is going on beforehand, but I don't know anything."

"I'll get them on the next flight out. They should be there in a few hours."

"Thanks, Billy. Oh and Billy about me seeing her when…"

"I'm sure it was completely an accident. It happens, right?"

"Um yeah right Billy." Lee stammered.

Amanda began to come to as she heard voices in another area of the room. She was tied up and gagged as she heard, "Are you sure this is the right one?"

"Yes, it is the only logical person. We were told he would be arriving with an agent that had the information we want. She has been the only one he has spent time with. They checked in as husband and wife; that doesn't surprise me Stetson always did love to play house with his female agents. Now when she wakes up then we will start her interrogation."

Closing her eyes Amanda began to pray silently that Lee would find her in time. She didn't know what they wanted but she heard enough to know that she didn't have any information.

Lee went to the lobby and saw his contact from the day before and taking a twenty dollar bill from his pocket and walked up to him. "Sir, I am sorry but I didn't get to give this to you yesterday" handing him the bill.

Whispering Lee said, "I need to talk to you now; my room five minutes or this is going to get very ugly."

Nodding his understanding he said, "Yes, Mr. Steadman right away."

Lee was pacing his room when he heard the knock on the door; opening it he grabbed the man on the other side and dragged him in the room pushing him against the now closed door.

"Where is she? What do you want with her?"

"Stetson, what in the hell are you talking about? We are on the same side. Where is who?"

"You know damn good and well who I am talking about, Amanda where is she?"

"Your partner; I don't know why would I know where she is?"

"You asked for this meet and help, why? What was so important that you needed Washington down here in Florida?"

"Someone is shopping for test subjects on a new mind altering drug that also wipes your memory after seventy- two hours. So in basically you could be slipped this drug and do things completely out of your nature and after a few days never have any memory of doing it. The evidence would be stacked against you but you wouldn't know it."

"Would they take random people or are they targeting a certain group of people?"

"They want agents. They want to be able to get them to go against their nature of protection and duty and then hang them out to dry with their country."

"Do you know who they wanted to start with?"

"The assistant to William Melrose, Francine Desmond; they thought she had enough clearance and information that they can get her to do some pretty unspeakable things. So if they have your partner then they have their first subject."

"They don't have Francine; they have Amanda and she isn't even an agent."

"Lee, what do you need from me?"

Lee's thoughts were only on Amanda, "Amanda, I just need Amanda."


	8. Finding Mrs Steadman

**MB Chapter 8**

Amanda continued to lie across the bed as her captors continued to ignore her while they made plans for her. "How much longer do we have to wait for her to wake up? How much chloroform did you give her?"

Then Amanda noticed a different voice, a woman's voice this time, "She hasn't been out for about ten minutes; she is just lying over there listening to you two idiots talking about all the ins and outs of this project."

They stood walking over to Amanda and as one of them flipped her over Amanda's eyes widen as she realized she knew all of her captors. One she recognized as the hostess of the resort restaurant, another the manager, Mr. Hudson, and the last person was the man that hit on her at the pool.

"What do you all want from me?"

"Ms. Desmond, you can drop the act. I know that you are one of the highest ranking agents at the Agency or Mr. Stetson wouldn't have brought you."

"My name is Amanda Steadman, I am a wedding planner. Now I don't know who Mr. Stetson is but I do know that my husband will be very worried about me."

"Oh, he is worried trust me, he is searching all over the resort for you, but as you know this is a big resort. I think he will be looking for hours before he realizes just how close you really are, Ms. Desmond."

"I'm not Desmond, I am Steadman and I want my husband." Amanda tried as hard as she could to hide emotions but she felt the tears stinging her eyes and she did all she could to make the tears not fall.

"Oh, look is the big brave agent going to cry? Nice act lady but it won't help you. Now here eat this."

Martin sat watching Lee pace back and forth while they waited for the plane with Francine Desmond and Percy Calhoun to land and Martin felt like he was watching a tennis match as fast as Lee was moving back and forth. "Stetson, sit down and wait or I will shoot you in the foot myself; how in the hell do they keep you under control in Washington?"

The next voice Lee heard from behind him made him jump, "Her name is Amanda King and we better find her soon or we will all suffer." William Melrose said as a petite blond and a man taller than Lee by at least five inches walked up behind him.

"If you are here it can't be good." Lee said.

Francine looked at Lee and said, "So it looks like she has taken my place this time; how anyone could mistake Amanda King for me I will never know."

Lee already had enough of her snide comments and said, "Well maybe we can just find out where she is and make a trade, you for her." With that said Lee stormed off and knew he regretted the words out of his mouth the minute they were said but was too mad at the moment to apologize to Francine.

The ride over to the resort was a quite one and once they returned Martin returned to his cover and told the four agents that he would continue to look for Amanda and check in later. Lee saw the resort manager walking off the elevator and Lee walked up to him and said, "Mr. Hudson, how are you this morning?"

"Very well Mr. Steadman and is everything okay with your stay? I hope that everything was satisfactory last night for you and your wife. By the way where is she?"

"I was just about to ask the same of you; you see her clients came in early and wanted to talk to her. I unfortunately haven't seen her since I went to take my shower and she was ordering breakfast."

Francine and Percy walked over and joined in the conversation, "Annie, this place is looks great."

"Now, now, dear I think we need to see more than the lobby before we make a final decision; besides I really need to get settled in and talk with our wonderful and easy-going wedding planner. Now Mr. Steadman, like I said after we get settled I want to meet with your wife, no excuses." Francine added tapping Lee on the cheek before walking toward the elevator and Percy following behind her.

Lee looked at Mr. Hudson and rolled his eyes, "I really need to find my wife; if you see her please let her know that I am looking for her and her clients are too as well."

"Yes, Mr. Steadman."

Billy was waiting in Mr. Hudson's office when he walked in, "My clerk told me you were waiting, what I can do for you Mr. Melrose?"

"I don't have time to mix words; I need your cooperation, I am investigating Congressman Steadman and I was wondering if I could get the surveillance tapes for his floor?"

"What are you investigating the Congressman for?"

"We think he brought his wife here to kill her."

"Eat this or I will put a bullet in your head."

Amanda shook her head and refused to open her mouth. "It doesn't matter I can also just inject you and get the same results."

"NO!" Amanda yelled and slammed her mouth shut and lunged at the woman; knocking the woman off her feet. Before Amanda could get very far when the man from the pool grabbed Amanda by the hair, jerking her head back and told her, "Just eat the damn toast and you can leave. It won't kill you."

"You might as well kill me because you will when you find out I am just a damn wedding planner from Washington and my husbands is a Congressman. I am not this Desmond woman you want."

"That is it just inject her; she won't eat it which really is the best way but a simple injection will work just as well."

Amanda remembered watching Francine and then slammed into his shoulder, knocking him off balance but he didn't fall; she then stepped on his foot with the heel of her shoe. He did fall backward into his partner and Amanda took the opportunity to run toward the door and turning to face her captors, with her hands still bound, she opened the door and ran down the hall and realized she was still on her floor.

Letting out a small breath she heard the elevator door opening and saw Lee walking out of it. "Lee!"

"Amanda, get down!" Lee yelled as the man pointed his gun right at her ready to fire.


	9. Going Home

**MB Chapter 9**

Letting out a small breath she heard the elevator door opening and saw Lee walking out of it. "Lee!"

"Amanda, get down!" Lee yelled as the man pointed his gun right at her ready to fire.

Amanda dropped to the floor rolling as close to the wall as she could. She heard the gunshots close to her as a door opened and the woman yelled out when everything had finally went silent. She laid there on the floor with her face down fearing that if she looked up she would see Lee shot or worse.

"Amanda," it was Francine's voice not Lee's she heard.

"Francine, what are you doing here?"

"Saving you and Lee's ass it looks like. Come on let's get those restraints off you." Francine carefully rolled Amanda over and began to undo her wrists. Amanda looked up and down the hall but she didn't see Lee anywhere.

"Where is Lee?"

"He went chasing after some man down the stairwell as I got here and took down this lady who was about to shoot you. Do you know who she is?"

"She is the hostess from the resort restaurant; shouldn't you be helping Lee now?"

"Calhoun is helping him. Do you know what this about?" Francine asked as she helped Amanda to her feet as they headed toward the room across from where she and Lee were staying in.

"Francine, my room is over there." Amanda said as she pointed across the hall.

"Yes, I know but I don't have a key to that room and I want you some place safe." As the two women walked in the room Francine picked up the phone to get a hold of Billy to inform him that they had a dead body on their hands and Amanda back. Amanda looked at the other woman and tried to form some sort of a sentence; she never knew Francine to willingly go out of her way to be nice to her. "Thank you, Francine; I really appreciate it."

"I'm just doing my job; besides Billy wouldn't be the only one to kill me if I helped in losing a civilian worker." Just then there was a knock on the door and Francine opened it to Billy. "Billy, I was just going to call you, we have Amanda back, one dead and Lee and Percy are giving chase to the other man involved."

"Did you get the resort manager too?" Amanda asked.

"Mr. Hudson? I just left his office. I told him I thought Lee brought you here to kill you and wanted tapes of your floor."

"I don't know how he is involved but it was him, the hostess from the dining room, and a man that hit on me at the pool yesterday."

"Hit on you?" Francine said unbelievingly.

"No we just got here, we have no idea what was going on except that you were missing. Stay here Francine come with me." Billy and Francine went back down to the lobby to find that resort manager was gone. They found Martin and told him to get his Agency over to the resort they had a dead body and at least one suspect on the run.

"Make that two Billy and Percy here needs to see a doctor." Calhoun walked over to the three other agents holding his shoulder and looking pretty pissed.

"What happened?" Billy asked as Martin walked behind the front desk and began to make a call to his superior.

"The man went down the stairwell, Lee followed, I was following right behind, and Francine said she had Mrs. King after taking out the lady about to shoot Mrs. King. Once outside I went to flank him so Lee and I would be to cut him off and he fired before I did and I was shot, nothing serious."

The elevator doors opened just then with Amanda walking out into the lobby and scanning around until she saw who she was looking for grateful he was alive and looked unharmed. She went to walk toward him but he caught her first and was checking her over.

"Are you okay? They didn't hurt you did they? Did they give you anything?"

Running her hands up and down his arms she said, "Other than when they knocked me out with I wasn't given anything; they wanted to but I didn't take it and I didn't forget my cover either. I kept telling them I was Mrs. Steadman. That is what I was supposed to do right? Was that right Lee?"

Smiling at hearing her ramble he said, "Yes, that is exactly what you were supposed to do, Amanda. Now let's try and get this wrapped up." As they walked back over to the other agents Lee placed his hand at the small of her back to guide her and also to reconfirm she was really standing next to him.

A swarm of Federal Agents came flooding into the lobby and Lee went back into agent mode and began with informing Martin's boss and colleagues of the situation and where they stood. Martin joined in and explained he might know a few places that Mr. Hudson may have gone to when he left the hotel.

Maxwell Hudson watched from his location as Federal Agents invaded his resort. He knew that he messed up but he was going to rectify the situation before his Russian friends could catch up with him. He sat trying to form a plan when he heard from behind him, "Check mate." The gun fired and Hudson fell over dead. The gentleman from the pool pulled Hudson from the car and got in and drove off.

Later that afternoon when everyone had been debriefed and eaten lunch Billy announced that whatever was going on than the Florida office could handle it and that everyone would be on a plane in the morning to return to DC; Amanda asked, "What about Francine, Sir, isn't she still in danger?"

"We will be keeping a closer eye on her when we return to DC." Amanda smiled knowing that Francine could handle herself but was glad to know the Agency would be there for her as well.

"So, Amanda, what do you say we go do that sightseeing and shopping for your family like we had planned?" Lee asked.

"That sounds wonderful Lee but I think I would rather just go back to the room and rest a while but thank you." She stood and hoped he realized that she didn't want to rest alone.

Upon entering the room she went to the bathroom and began to undress and walked naked to the bed to lie down. Crawling in under the sheets she laid there for what seemed like hours before the door opened and Lee walked in. Coming over to the bed he sat down on the side of the bed and ran a finger down her exposed arm and whispered, "Do you always rest in the afternoon without any clothes on?"

"Only when I am on assignment with you as your wife," she answered before laughing at her own statement.

"Amanda, Billy wants me to get a different room tonight?" He said as he kissed her collarbone.

Taking in a deep breath and pulling the covers back she asked, "What is it that you want?"

Standing Lee removed his shoes and clothing. Getting into bed next to her he lowered his head to kiss her as his hand covered her breast. "I want you right here and right now Amanda King, I want whatever bit of you that you are willing to share with me."

The slow sweet torturous sexual assault began as Amanda took him in her hand and began to stroke him to fullness and then she pulled him to her and guided him in her and Lee couldn't take it and took over. He slowly entered her and withdrew all but the tip of himself then slammed into her then stilled and didn't move making her whimper slightly. "Is this what you want?" He asked as he rotated his hips making her meet his thrust and moan louder.

"Lee," it was more of a plea than anything.

"Yes, Amanda, I want to hear you say it. Is this," he stopped again "what you want?"

"Yes, I want it. Give it all to me and more."

"More you say." Lee withdrew completely from her and rolled her to her stomach. Raising her hips he reached in front of her and toyed with her clitoris and began rubbing until her first orgasm began to hit her and then he slipped in from behind her. His thrusts causing wave upon wave to continue to crash Amanda's system. Lee continued until he felt and heard her final orgasm meet with his and they both collapsed into each other arms.

Lee held her and after a while he said, "Amanda, are you okay?"

"I am more than okay Lee I am wonderful. I had never done that before."

"Never before at all; not even with Joe, Manda?"

"Nope, that was a first for me and it was amazing, Stetson. You really out did yourself on that round."

Amanda went to roll over and kiss him when they heard a knock at the door and they froze then Lee said, "Screw it," and kissed her. He knew the door was locked and a do not disturb sign out so he wasn't worried about being interrupted in his goal to kiss her some more. He wasn't ready to go back to reality and that would happen as soon as one of them opened the door.

The next morning everyone met in the lobby and left together. Amanda sat reading her book she started when they left DC and Francine asked about her reading choice, "Well, Francine it really is the only romance that a woman like me gets in her life so I might as well make the best of what I have."

"What about sharing a room with Lee?" Francine said with a sly look toward the other woman.

"Sharing a room with Lee is as exciting for me as a root canal, Francine." Before Amanda went back to reading her she glanced in Lee's direction only to see his hidden smile and she knew she hadn't hurt his feelings or upset him.

At the airport Lee sat a few seats from Amanda reading the paper while he would steal glances at her as she read her book. He was still wondering how things were going to be when they got back to DC. He knew he that he still didn't want another man to be that close with her but he also couldn't blame her if she found a man to be in her life like she needed and deserved. He wondered if he could be a person she could trust for the long haul; his track record really wasn't in his favor.

Amanda sat reading her book, or at least giving the impression of reading by turning the pages every now and then. Her thoughts were on the man she had spent most of the last two days with in bed. She was so sure at first that she could handle just a casual affair with Lee. Now all she could think about was how she didn't want him to bring that excitement to another woman. She was jealous of just the thought of Lee being with another woman; doing what he did with her.

The announcement of their flight boarding had the five companions standing and walking toward the line to board. Billy noticed how Lee rested his hand at Amanda's back and guided her toward their destination and when standing in line how his hand would rub up and down her back stopping than come back to rest in the small of her back. Billy knew that the two became involved on this assignment. He never thought it would happen; he knew that Lee despite his protest of working with her was very protective of her. He knew that Amanda cared for everyone she came in contact with, even Francine. He was still surprised when Lee slipped the other morning about seeing Amanda leaving the shower and he knew for a fact that Lee never got another room last night like Billy had suggested; leaving him to wonder what a root canal for Amanda must be like.

On the plane Lee and Amanda's seats happen to be next to each other; Lee stepped out of the way and allowed Amanda to sit down next to the window. Amanda took her seat and went to put her seatbelt on and it was stuck, "Lee, could you help me with this please it's stuck."

"Sure, you just need to know how to work it, Amanda." She had a feeling he was making a reference to his suitcase zipper when she went to unzip it for him as they packed their stuff the night before.

"Funny, Stetson, keep it up."

As the plane began to take off he leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "Why don't _**you**_ keep it up and then we can join the mile high club today before we make it back to DC." Smiling at her and watching her blush made him laugh heartily and deep. "Amanda King, after everything we have done that is what's going to make you blush?"

"If you think I am going to have sex with you inside an airplane bathroom you are crazy."

"I was only joking."

"Lee, you aren't crazy for suggesting it, you are crazy for suggesting it with Francine on this plane." She told him as they both began to laugh.

Lee noticed that as the plane began to descend into Dulles Amanda gripped the armrest until her knuckles were white. "Hey, we're just landing; everything is okay." He placed her hand in his and had her focus on his eyes. She took a deep breath and said, "Hey, could you give me a ride?"

"Sure, where to Arlington?" Lee asked.

"Eventually, I want to talk and finally answer your question now that we are back." She said and as he agreed she just nodded and adverted her eyes away from his; this made a knot form in his stomach and he knew what she was going to say, he just lost another good friend.


	10. Amanda's Answer

**MB Chapter 10**

Back in Washington Lee and Amanda shared a cab to where Amanda was planning on staying. Amanda was telling Lee, "So naturally when Mother told me she had plans tonight and asked if I was learning a lot I just couldn't tell her I was coming home today so I told her I would be home tomorrow afternoon so that is why I asked if you would be able to give me a lift home; I just meant to tell you tomorrow not today."

"Amanda, why do you want to spend money and stay at a hotel? I have a perfectly good place you could stay tonight and I won't even charge for extra pillows and towels." Lee said half laughing half serious.

Amanda looked at him and said, "I didn't want to impose on you Lee and I wasn't sure what plans you would have had when you got back home. I just really needed a ride back to the house."

Lee asked the driver to turn around and head to his apartment. When they arrived Lee was glad to see that the cleaning service he had hired not long after Amanda got kidnapped in his place had in fact been by and the place was spotless and clean. Lee now understood why Amanda would rather go to a hotel if his place was the only other option.

"Wow, what is she like?" Amanda asked as she saw the neatly ordered apartment and she figured that it must only look like this when he had a new lady friend.

"Who are you talking about, Amanda?"

"The new lady in your life; I mean no offense Lee but I have never seen your apartment this clean." She said as she sat her purse down and sat on the couch.

"There isn't anyone new in my life; I hired a cleaning service. Ya know, Amanda, I think the mess of my apartments over the years had to do with how I was raised by my uncle. There was no room for failure or clutter in his world and so when I had a chance I just rebelled and refused to clean every two seconds; but even in my clutter I know where things were."

"Good to know, Stetson. Does your cleaning service provide groceries as well or do I need to run to the store for you?"

"Amanda, you don't drive a stick; but I do have about a dozen restaurants that deliver on speed dial. What are you in the mood for?"

Her thoughts shouted in her head 'YOU!' but she voiced calmly, "Whatever you're in the mood for is fine. I just really want to eat before we talk."

Lee went to place the order then went in his room to unpack and put his gun away as he opened the bedside table to set his gun in he noticed the full box of condoms that he made sure he always made sure he wasn't without when the last few days with Amanda ran through his mind; not only the number of times they had been together but every one of those times he realized he never took any precautions to protect her. He sat on the bed thinking of all the times in the field that he did everything he could to protect her; now the most important time of all and he never protected her once.

"Lee, the doorman said that the delivery is on its way up." She found him on the bed holding the box in one hand and his head in the other. "Lee, are you okay?"

Standing and throwing the box on the bed he looked at her and she saw anger in his hazel eyes, "Fine, Amanda, I am just great." He stormed passed her toward the door to meet the delivery and she noticed what he had thrown on the bed and she understood his anger.

Walking back in his living room she saw as he began to place the food out on the table and she walked over stopped his hands taking them in hers and said, "Look at me Lee."

"I thought you wanted to eat; if you want to eat then I have to set this…"

"Lee Matthew Stetson, look at me, in the eyes."

When he looked up into her eyes she saw the anger still in them and she pulled him into her arms and ran her hands through his hair and said, "Lee, why are you so mad? Do you regret what happened in Florida?"

"Not what happened but what wasn't done, Amanda, I didn't once think to protect you. You could be pregnant because of me." He wanted to pull away from her soft embrace but found he was unable to.

"You didn't force me; not one of those times; we were both there and it was both of our jobs to protect each other and we both failed."

"Amanda, what if you are pregnant?"

"What if I am?" She asked him kissing him on his neck.

A soft moan escaped his throat as he relaxed in her arms, "What would you tell your family if you become pregnant?"

"Like you said, I already could be; how will you react if I am? I have already done this twice before and I know I could again if I needed to because if I am there is only one option; I will not give a child of mine up for adoption or terminate a pregnancy."

"I would never ask you to consider either of those options; but if you are you know that you have me to deal with for the rest of your life because me having a child and not being a part of their life is not an option for me."

"I would never keep a child of mine from their father. Lee I chose not to worry about a situation I can't change or even know about yet. If I am I will let you know as soon as I do and we will handle it from there if need be. Now don't be mad and lets have a nice dinner."

She saw the anger leave his face but not the worry; she knew he would just have to work through that on his own and deal with it if need be in his own way and time if necessary. They ate in silence and when they had ate their fill Amanda walked over to the couch and patted it for Lee to sit down next to her.

"If I remember correctly, Mr. Stetson, you were worried about things changing between us."

"Yes, yes I am; I really don't want that to happen but it may already have."

"Do you think any differently toward me now that you have seen me wet and naked?"

Lee smiled at the memory of her wet and naked as she put it and he said, "Depends on the situation."

"Okay for work purposes do you think any differently toward me?"

"No I don't Amanda; for work purposes I do not think differently about you."

"Good; now that we have that settled then we have nothing to worry about. If you don't feel differently than you won't treat me differently. I know we haven't known each other even a full year but I have learned that you have always treated your past flings with respect and you have always with me."

"Amanda there is a difference here; my other office 'flings' never was asked to cover my ass and you have and you do. Billy has you in the office and I have you in the field; now I am worried that since I have had you in bed that I will lose focus in the field."

"Lee, I have no intention of leaving this job unless forced to, Billy promised me I would get more training and I intend to get that training. I am good at my job and I am even better at my friendships and where you are concerned I am fabulous for both. I am not leaving you alone in the field and I am not letting you push our friendship out the window either. Look into my eyes Lee, go ahead, look." She sat waiting for him to lock into her eyes before she continued, "Lee have I ever lied to you before?"

"No, you never have."

"Okay; trust me when I said that our friendship and our work relationship will be fine. I am not sitting here harboring some out of this world fantasy that I expect any more from you than I have already gotten and I will be okay. Really I will, you have such a great heart and I know you didn't plan on having sex with me; hell I didn't plan on having sex with you. We are adults and I think we are better than most in our friendship that we will be okay. Does any of that help you?"

"Yes, it helps more than you know. Well, now that I have my answer and we have had dinner what would you like to do?"

"Sleep, I am tired. Where do you want me?"

Standing he leaned over, picked her up in his arms and carried her to his bedroom. "I want you in here and in my arms tonight before I take you home tomorrow."


	11. Talking with Mother

**MB Chapter 11**

Amanda was sitting at the kitchen table a few weeks later reading the paper when her mother came in and sat down and said, "Amanda, dear, you know I don't really like to prey into your life but I was wondering something."

"Yes, Mother, what is it?" Putting the paper aside when she heard real concern in her mother's voice; Amanda gave her mother her full attention.

"I just don't know how to put this but is everything all right with you, dear?"

Amanda looked at her, seeing the lines of concern but not knowing where it was coming from, "Mother, you're starting to worry me. Why do you think something is wrong with me?"

"I have just noticed changes in you since you went to Florida a few weeks ago for work. You never did tell me why you came home early and why for two days before you went back to work you cried yourself to sleep. Don't deny it please, I heard you; now I know the boys weren't home yet and when they did get back you tried to be yourself but you weren't. You have a smile that reaches your eyes, you get that from your daddy, but lately it hasn't been and that worries me."

"Mother, I wasn't going to deny it. I am kind of glad you finally asked; I didn't know how to tell you about it and I really have wanted to but work has been crazy also."

"Did you pick up something in Florida? Amanda, are you dying?"

Laughing a little Amanda said, "Mother, I am not dying, well except maybe of embarrassment. Why don't I make us some tea and we can talk, the boys will be at school all day and I believe it is going to be a great way to start all of this."

Dotty got comfortable and began to prepare herself for the worse and just hoped her daughter could help her understand what was going on in her life.

"Mother, I am going to tell you some things and I don't expect you to believe everything I am going to tell you; but I am going to tell you never the less and what you do with that information is what you do with it."

"Amanda you sound like you are about to tell me you have sort of secret life."

"That is because I do. Now I know you said that while I was growing up that I had a wild imagination and I probably did but I am not a little girl anymore but I don't like lying to you and I want you to understand the last few weeks, but to understand that you need to understand my last year of marriage before filing for divorce."

"What does your divorce have to do with the last few weeks and your job?"

"Mother if it weren't for my divorce the last few weeks and the last seven months for that matter of my life would be very different."

Dotty sat back and held her tea cup close as if I would protect her from what her daughter was about to tell her. "Amanda, how can something that was going on over two years ago affect you now?"

"The year I filed for divorce was my last ditch effort to save my family. I thought that if I gave Joe an ultimatum, Africa or Arlington, he would choose Arlington and his family. When he didn't choose Arlington; I felt like a failure. I mean what kind of person I must be if a land that was desolate held more appeal to a man then his wife."

Dotty wanted to say something to comfort her daughter but she had a feeling that if she tried Amanda would pull back and stop opening up to her at all; so she held her tongue and let Amanda continued.

Amanda grabbed the box of tissues and handed them to her mother, "Here I think you are going to need these; I think I am all cried out at this point. Okay, so my husband didn't want me and I felt like a failure and after a while I started to feel like a person again and I met a wonderful, reliable, dependable weatherman. He treated me like I was important, needed, and special. The only problem was that I didn't feel that way with him. Dean was a safe way back into a world I never really navigated well."

Amanda went and refilled their teacups then continued, "Then one day the most amazing thing happened and I owe it all to Joe and Dean. Joe didn't want me, Dean needed me and that need lead me to my current life; a life I love but am tired of hiding inside of. I am tired of hiding it from you most importantly."

"The day I took Dean to the train station; I was walking back toward my car and a man dressed as a waiter came up to me and pleaded with me to help him. I refused of course; I mean I was in my nightgown for heaven's sake. Oh, Mother, he begged and his hazel eyes held so many emotions, I had to help."

"Amanda, what emotion motivated you the most to help this man with hazel eyes?"

"The honesty I saw below the surface; to this day I couldn't tell you why although I just knew I had to help. I knew that Lee was in danger and needed my help and no one needed me that desperately in my entire adult life and even if it was for a few seconds it made me feel alive again. So I helped Lee and thus my new life began."

"Lee, that is his name; so is he the reason that Dean left the picture?"

"No, Lee isn't the reason; not really. The job we do is more to the point of why Dean is no longer in my life. Mother, I know that you remember when I was in that accident where I lost my memory and the doctor said that it was probably some kind of emotional complication that was blocking my memory? Well, if I really loved Dean the way I needed to then I would have forgotten him too, but Lee and my job I forgot. Someone and something I find very important in my life left me and I really had to think about that."

"Okay, I take it Lee is one of your co-workers, but how could working for a documentary film company put your lives in danger so much?"

"Well, I was getting to that part and this is where I really need you to believe me or I really don't have much more to explain about the last few weeks. Lee and I work for the government but not a film company. Lee is a senior intelligence field operative and I am a civilian worker mainly doing the clerical stuff; although on occasion I do work as Lee's partner, like in Florida a few weeks ago."

Amanda sat and tried to gauge her mother's reaction but her mother just sat saying nothing to her daughter and Amanda couldn't get a read of her mother. Amanda refused to go further until her mother responded in some way and after five minutes Dotty said, "Amanda, you want me to believe that you and this Lee person are spies?"

"Spy is really a term they don't like to use and no mother I am not one; not yet any way I am starting to receive a little training more and more; but I have to have someone approve my request for formal training and the director really doesn't like me, so I may only be part time for the rest of my career."

"If you don't have training than why are you going on assignment s with this Lee person?"

"I think it has to do with that he isn't as reckless when I'm with him. Our boss, Mr. Melrose, seems to think that I am a good influence on him."

"Are you a good influence on him, dear?"

"I like to think I am; we have become friends and well now that leads me to Florida."

Amanda took a deep breath and then started, "I was asked by my boss to accompany Lee to Florida and pose as his wife; my part for the assignment was simple all I needed to do was have a meeting with the resort manager and then sit by the pool and look like a vacationing wife with her over worked political husband. At the time it seemed very simple; because after Lee got the information he was supposed to have his back up, 'my clients' would be there if they were needed and then we would come home."

"I take it things didn't go as planned, Amanda."

"No it didn't, Mother. While my part for the assignment went like it was supposed to; Lee on the other hand his contact changed the plan so Lee and I spent some extra time together."

"Extra time; where by the pool, maybe it was sightseeing, or possibly…"

"It was in the shower Mother. Lee and I spent extra time in the shower and then then bed. Mother I slept with one of my co-workers; a lot!"

"Amanda, you mean to tell me that you went on an intelligence assignment only to end up having an affair with a fellow co-worker?"

"Well, Mother, I did get kidnapped, almost drugged, and saved too so I mean it wasn't a total wash out."

Dotty looked at her daughter because she honestly didn't think Amanda meant to reveal that last part. Dotty was beginning to understand why her daughter had been acting the way she had. It didn't have to do with the crazy job she had it had to do with having sex with someone she works with and having to keep that hidden as well.

"Amanda I am not even going to ask you about that last statement but I will ask you this; is this Lee person making your job more difficult now that you have had sex?"

"No and neither have I. We had a talk about it the day we came home and we came to an understanding." Dotty handed her daughter a tissue because it seemed Amanda needed them more than she did.

"Thank you, Mother." Amanda said taking the tissue. "Our assignment ended and we were back in Washington actually one day before I came to the house. You had told me of your plans and I stayed with Lee; I was going to stay at a hotel I didn't want to interrupt your plans. Well, after Lee and I had dinner and cleaned up, we talked. Talked about how we would handle working together, being around one another, going back to normal."

"Normal; Amanda nothing about your actions is 'normal'. You tell me you are running all over DC with spies and sleeping around with said spy and you want to talk about normal; I really don't think it applies in your case." Her mother's words hit hard but she knew her mother was right. Her relationship with Lee was and never had been normal.

"You're right, Mother, it isn't normal but I wanted and needed what was normal for myself and Lee. He is starting to look at me as an asset on the job but he can be so callus with his words at times. They never upset me a lot before we slept together; now though it really makes a difference for me. I of course don't show that at work; I am getting a thicker skin there."

"Is it he thinks you can't do the job?"

"Not so much him; but I can tell you there are a lot of people that think I shouldn't be there and some days I think they are right but not enough days to leave. I really do love my job Mother; most of it is helping with clerical stuff so I am in the building all day."

"Other days though you aren't in the building and then that gets dangerous?"

"Sometimes it does; most of the time it doesn't."

"Amanda, why did you cry those two days before the boys got home?"

"I was scared. I never lied to Lee before and when he asked me if we were going to be okay; I told him we would. In truth Mother I have no idea if we will or won't. He is the only man, and I am including my ex-husband, to ever make me feel the way I felt and it may sound crazy but I never want another man that way in my life again. I never want to know what it would be like with anyone else. That scares me."

"It should scare you. When a man and a woman connect in that intimate way and it is the best you ever had to that point in your life; it is hard to think of anyone else in that way. I know I was that way after your father died."

"Really, in what way, I mean it isn't like you and Daddy got a divorce he died. He left because he had to not because one of you wanted him to leave."

"Yes, my fear came from knowing that your father and I had that explosive connection and knowing he was the only one I had ever been with to that point. I knew when we lost him early that one day I would be with another man and the fear came from thinking maybe I wasn't so great; what if the only man I was ever to please was your father."

"Then we are polar opposite's mother because the only man to ever make me feel explosive and free and fantastic in bed has been Lee; even though he could do that for me, I know I did something to him to and I never got that with anyone else. Lee has this great ability to lie because of what he does, but I know just by looking in his eyes what the truth is."

"What truth do you see in his eyes that scares you so much?" Dotty asked.

"Right now for these last few weeks I have seen worry; he is worried that our time together produced a baby."

"A baby; did it?"

"I don't know; I haven't taken the test yet. I have one upstairs I was going to take it tonight. I just know that if I am then he will be around but it will be out of obligation and that is worse than the indifference Joe has shown."

At that moment the back door opened and Lee Stetson stepped in and said, "It isn't obligation that would have me here if you are pregnant. If you really can see the truth in my eyes when you talk to me than you would know that; look into them now and tell me what you see?"

Amanda saw the tears in his eyes also and wondered how long he had been outside listening to them. "How long have you been out there?"

He was by her side in three steps and held her by her upper arms than before Dotty could say anything he pulled her close and said, "Tell me what you see."

Amanda looked into his beautiful hazel eyes and saw a number of things, hurt, fear, but above all she saw passion at the center of it all.

"Amanda King you are the most infuriating, frustrating, exasperating woman I know. You came randomly into my life; turn it upside down and backwards making me feel things I never wanted to feel. I wanted to be shut off to shut off and unattainable, I can't be that with you. With you I am me; flaws and all. There is still a lot about me you don't know but one thing you better understand is that I am not here, one way or the other, out of obligation. I really want to be around you; I need to be around you. Do you understand?"

"How long were you out there listening to my private conversation with my mother?"

He at least had the courtesy to look embarrassed when he answered her, "I came to talk to you about our recent case and I heard everything; including your mother asking why you were crying when you came home from Florida."

"Um, excuse me, while I could go on an assumption as to who you are I was wondering if one of you would like to introduce me to you." Dotty said to let them know she was still there and now she could see why her daughter was so confused. The man in front of her was drop dead gorgeous, went from furious to incredible in three point two seconds, and while his anger seemed high at first she knew he would never harm her daughter on purpose anyway.

"Oh, Mother, I am sorry, this is Lee Stetson. This is the man I work with at the Agency and who we have been talking about."

"Mrs. West, it is nice to finally meet you. Amanda has talked of you often as well as the boys."

"Amanda, speaking of the boys, they will be home in a few hours, you might want to go and take that test before they get home so you can destroy the evidence so to speak."

Looking at Lee, Amanda blushed slightly before excusing herself leaving Lee all alone with her mother.

"Would you like some tea, Mr. Stetson?"

"No thank you, Mrs. West. How long do home pregnancy tests take?"

"Well, you don't have to wait for the rabbit to die but it will take about ten minutes start to finish. So tell me about yourself we have time."

Lee began to feel like a suspect on the wrong end of the KGB as he sat down on the couch and faced Amanda's mother alone.

"What would you like to know, that isn't classified."

"What have you gotten my daughter into with all this spy stuff?"

"In my defense, I did use your daughter in an emergency situation, but I have also tried to convince her to get out of the business and well she is being rather stubborn about it; she won't."

"Well, she can be a bit stubborn at times." Dotty noticed that Lee raised his eyebrows and rolled his eyes when she said that and she tried hiding a smile knowing all too well the man in front of her knew all about her daughter's stubborn streak.

"How long have you been in the business?"

"Around almost eleven years. I was recruited by the founder of the Agency."

"Was my daughter just a fill in Florida?"

"A fill in for what; what would she be filling in for?" Lee asked honestly not knowing where that question may go.

"Was she a fill in replacement for another agent?"

"No, Billy wanted her there to make me look like a normal person; Amanda relaxes me to where I don't look as stiff or so Billy says."

"Why did you seduce my daughter?"

"Amanda left out the play by plays but I wasn't the only one doing the seducing. If at any point she would have said no or turned down my advances it would have stopped. Your daughter and I have had an attraction from the very beginning, I will admit that I have tried every way to stop this attraction because I have never felt like Amanda deserved a man like me; not for the life she has."

"The life she has young man is a lonely one and up until the last few months a very boring one; you may be the one thing she needs. I may not be fully understanding her job at the moment but I do understand her heart; somehow Lee Stetson you are connected to both at the moment."

Amanda was pacing back and forth in her room when she was startled by the arms that came around her waist and the lips on her neck, "Lee, please don't do that; I don't like it when you scare me."

"I know and I didn't mean to scare you, I thought you heard me knock."

"No, I didn't. I can't believe she let you willing leave the interrogation."

"She didn't; you gave her so much tea today that when she went to the restroom I snuck up here. I want to be with you when you find out; how much longer?"

"I would say a minute or less."

"Good then I have just enough time to do this." Lee bent his head and placed his lips on hers and Amanda's core began to ache with a desire that had been resting just below the surface since coming back home. She couldn't believe that he still could get her excited and ready just by merely kissing her lips.

"Lee, we need to stop or we are just going to end up…" she was silenced by Lee picking her up and placing her on the bed and leaning over her. Her hands came to rest and play with his tie that she fixed when all she wanted to do was rip the thing off of him. "Lee, I have to check the test."

Lee leaned in and kissed her before rolling off her and sitting up against her pillows and head board. He watched as she walked into the bathroom and came back holding a plastic stick in her hands. She sat next to him and as he moved closer she flipped the stick over showing both of them the results at the same time.

Lee was the first to speak, "Well, we have our answer, now what?" Amanda sat there not answering him; all she could do was sit there as tears began to slide down her face silently. "Oh, Lee."


	12. The Answer

**MB Chapter 12**

"Amanda, Lee, can I come in?" Dotty tapped lightly on the partially opened bedroom door. She stopped just inside when she saw Lee with his arms around Amanda while trying to stop her tears. "Oh, darling; I take it that I have another grandchild on the way?" Lee took the test from Amanda's hand and said, "Uh, it would seem so; at least according to this plastic stick."

Dotty looked at Amanda and said, "It will be okay, I promise. You aren't alone; you have me and I hope I am correct when I say that you have this young man next to you to help you out. Now all we have to do is make a plan and everything will be fine. It will be completely fine."

Amanda smiled at her mother's attempt to comfort her. "Mother, I know I am not alone; I just have a lot of things to consider. I have the boys, you, Lee, my job…"

"You don't have a thing to worry about where work is concerned because you aren't going anywhere near that place ever again." Lee said his voice sounding very challenging toward Amanda.

Standing to face Lee, Amanda's own voice sounding very determined said, "You can't seriously think that you are going to stand here and tell me that you think I am going to quit my job because I am pregnant?"

"I most certainly am. Now Amanda King that is my baby too and I should have a say in his or her safety and I am not going to stand here and fight about this."

"Why not we fight about everything else where work in concerned why not this too because I am not giving up my job and beside I still need to go to a doctor and confirm it before I go guns blazing into work and announcing that the great and powerful Scarecrow knocked me up!"

"Amanda King this is exactly what I am talking about; why can't you just listen to me for once." Running his hands through his hair and pinching his nose.

"Because as usual you are not making any sense; tomorrow I am going to call my doctor and make an appointment to confirm this baby, then I am going to come into work and type your report for our last case so it will be in on time, then I am going to the briefing so I can take notes so you will know what is going on because you have a security briefing at the Capitol building for the fundraiser next week and then finally I am going to come home and make dinner for the boys because Mother has her card club tomorrow and start all over the next day." The whole time she was saying all this Dotty watched as Amanda gently smoothed out Lee's tie or touched him in some way that seemed to calm him as she spoke and by the time Amanda was done with her check list Lee seemed a lot more calm to Dotty than at the beginning.

"Now, Lee we can't get overworked about work or this baby until we have confirmed everything. How would it look if you went into Billy's office passing out cigars and I have a false positive from that little plastic stick in your hand; which by the way you might want to throw away and wash your hands; it does have pee on it."

Lee walked over to the bathroom and dropped the test stick in the trash and washed his hands. He closed the door and locked it; leaving the older woman in the room looking to her daughter for answers.

"What was that?"

"That, Mother, is Lee Stetson, he is passionate and hot headed but reasonable. You just have to know how to calm him down."

"You certainly know how to do that; maybe your boss knows what he is talking about. That is the second time in less than an hour I have seen you calm that man down just by talking to him and barely touching his arm. I watched twice as you calmed that man down; I don't know why you are so worried about where his obligation lies; it is with you not a child." Dotty stood and left the room and Amanda decided there was no time like the present she picked the phone up and dialed her OB/GYN.

"Hello, Miranda, this is Amanda King and I need to make an appointment to see Cindy as soon as possible. Well the best guess I have is I am either going into early menopause or I am pregnant. Really that soon; yes I can be there in an hour; yes, I know with my history and all. Thank you I will see you in an hour."

Lee came out of the bathroom and Amanda looked at him and asked, "Do you want to go to the doctor with me?"

"My schedule tomorrow is very busy but you know my schedule better than I do so if you make it for a time…"

"Lee, you have the day off to work on reports and I have an appointment in an hour. I have to get ready and get going so if you want to go you can if you don't I will understand."

"I want to go with you; I will just let you get ready." He left the room to let her get ready.

Four hours later Lee and Amanda returned to find Jamie and Philip playing in the backyard. Amanda looked at Lee as they sat in his silver Porsha, "You don't have to meet them yet; you have months before the baby gets here for you to get to know them."

"Thanks, I think I just need to go and process the fact that I am going to be a father shortly after the New Year. I would like to come over tomorrow for dinner if you don't care."

"I think that would be great; see you after your meeting tomorrow." Amanda started to get out of the car when simultaneously Lee pulled her back toward him for a kiss just as the boys came out from the backyard to witness it. Lee finished kissing Amanda and noticed his audience watching as their mom got out of the fancy car and walked toward them. Lee did the only thing he thought he needed to do, he turned off the car and got out of the car, "Uh, Amanda, I changed my mind is that okay?"

Smiling she nodded and said, "Ok, fellas I want you to meet a friend and co-worker of mine, Lee Stetson."

"Hi." Was the welcome he got from both boys at the same time.

"Hi, your mom really talks about you two a lot at work. She is really proud of your baseball team."

Jamie said, "I don't know why we lose against a team that has girls on it."

He didn't have a response for that one he only shook his head and smiled at the younger King boy.

"You have a really cool looking car, what do you do at the film company?"

"I am a producer and at times director when I need to be." Before Lee knew what had happened he was in the backyard with the boys tossing a baseball and talking cars with them.

"Dinner is ready you three come in and wash up." Dotty called out of the door at the group of guys in the yard. "Lee, are you staying?" She asked.

"No, not tonight, Mrs. West; I will be by tomorrow for dinner, I have some work to do tonight."

Upon hearing this Jamie asked, "What would you have to produce or direct at this time of the night?"

Dotty raised her eyebrows and then watched Lee as he said, "There is a lot of paperwork that goes along with producing the productions we do at work. Amanda, I will see you tomorrow."

"Let me walk you out." She said smiling at him as they walked out to his car. Once they got to his car, she placed her hands on her hips and asked, "Are you in full sensory overload yet, Scarecrow?"

Smiling he said, "You noticed, huh, but I do need to go back into the Agency. I never really planned on being gone all day; I have those reports and all."

"Okay, I'll see you in the morning after the briefing. Be careful." She turned to go as Lee pulled her back into his arms and held her, "Stop walking away from me so fast; it makes it very hard to kiss you when you do that." To prove his point he leaned in to kiss her as Philip came around the corner and said, "Mom, Dad is on the phone and wants to talk to you about something he says it is important."

"Okay, tell him I am on my way. Bye." She quickly gave Lee a quick kiss on the cheek and then turned and walked back into the house with Philip asking, "Is he your new boyfriend?" Lee heard her soft laughter unfortunately he couldn't hear the response. He got into his car and went into the Agency and went his desk at the bullpen.

"What are you doing here so late Lee? I thought you had plans with Jillian tonight." Francine Desmond asked.

"Damn it, I forgot all about that with everything that happened today."

"What happened? I have been here all day and nothing happened."

"No, I went over to Amanda's to ask with some help with this report and well…" Lee stopped himself remembering what Amanda had mentioned at lunch about letting information about the baby out yet.

"What happened at Amanda's? The PTA planning a massive bake sale, rummage sale, no let me guess Amanda got a new microwave oven."

"Francine, why do you have to that?" The anger in his voice began to show.

"Do what?"

"Make fun of Amanda; she works very hard and it isn't easy doing all she does at home, around here, and she does it without complaining; just because she isn't coming up the ranks like you did does not mean she is any less capable of doing what needs to be done around here." Lee didn't realize how loud his voice was until Billy Melrose walked out of his office and began to watch the exchange between two of his best agents. "I suggest you just get used to her being around and get whatever you have against her out of your system."

"Scarecrow, will you get in my office; now!" Lee walked toward the office door and paused to look at Francine's shocked face watching him as if he had grown two horns out of his head.

"Lee, would you like to tell me what that was all about out there? I can't say that I am not happy to hear you finally giving Amanda credit but why now? Wasn't it you last week that was telling her that if she didn't learn to stay put you would duct tape her to the seat of your passenger seat?"

"I am sorry; I will apologize to Francine for yelling at her; but Amanda does work hard and Francine just needs to get off her ass."

"Yeah, it wouldn't do to have both of you on her ass huh."

Lee looked at Billy and said, "What is that supposed to mean; I think I have been treating her pretty fairly lately."

"You have and I want to know, off the record, if Florida had anything to do with that?"

Lee now knew he looked like a child being caught red handed with his hand in the cookie jar. He swallowed hard and then before he knew what was happening he was spilling his guts to Billy about what happened in Florida with him and Amanda.

"So you two are involved now?"

"No, yes, uh hell I don't know; it was in Florida and once at my apartment before I took her home after we got back and agreed to be just friends."

"You have some of the most interesting friendships in this business, Lee. Are you sure you can handle still working with Amanda now that you two have slept together? I mean the last few weeks your work together has been some of the best you two have done; I just need to know if there are going to be any problems between the two of you."

Lee sat and thought how in this business you didn't get to many friends and he had a great one in William Melrose but he also knew that he was his boss and even Lee knew if he told about the baby now Billy would have Amanda chained before she gave the password in the morning.

"No, I think our working relationship will be fine. We talked a lot about it when we got back and I think so far no one suspects that anything is different between us." They will in a few months though he thought.

"I noticed the change immediately but the two of you have remained professional about it; not like some of the other women around here that still drool when you walk by them around here; as long as you aren't open about what happened or it doesn't become a problem then I see no need to call you two out on it." Billy left out that fact that Amanda might be the best thing for him in and out of the office; feeling his friend wasn't ready to hear that.

"What if it does become a problem?"

"Then I will separate you; why do you ask?"

Lee didn't say anything he just stood and went back to his desk and when he didn't see Francine he left her a note on her desk telling her he was sorry for snapping at her and he would see her the next day. Lee drove home and thought about all that had happened during the day. He walked in his apartment and walked to the table to see his message light flashing, pushing the button he started to listen to the messages; the first one was from his uncle telling him he would be in town in a few weeks and wanted to see Lee, delete; the next one was from Jillian reminding him that he was late but the wine was still chilling, delete, and the last one was from Amanda reminding him that he needed to go to the office before his meeting for a file he needed to take with him; he replayed her message again and then hit save.

Lee picked up the phone and dialed his uncle to set plans for his visit. The next call he made was to Jillian explaining that he wouldn't be by and he didn't think it was a great idea if they saw each other again, he had some personal stuff arise and he needed to deal with that at the moment and even though she didn't take it real well he didn't feel a loss as he hung up the phone. He got ready for bed and as he climbed into bed he looked at the clock and picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi. What did you tell Philip when he asked if I was your new boyfriend?"

"The truth; you are a friend and co-worker and at the moment I am not your girlfriend."

"What did he say to that?"

"He wanted to know more about male and female friendships that involve kissing."

"The birds and bees talk; how did it go?'

"We tabled the conversation until after dinner and it went fine. He had questions and I answered them honestly. I think he would have rather talked with Joe but he got me."

"Speaking of Joe; what did he want if you don't mind me asking?"

"He wanted to let me know that he would be in town for his annual review at work and he wanted to know what games and plans the boys had going on while he was here so he could see them."

"What about you; does he want to see you too?"

"Lee he will see me; every time he drops off and picks up the boys. Now I have to go to sleep I will see you tomorrow, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Manda."


	13. Keeping A New Secret

**MB Chapter 13**

Amanda walked into the Georgetown foyer the next morning smiling and cheerfully said, "Good morning, Mrs. Marston, I believe the word is 'checkerboard'.

"Very good, Mrs. King; have a nice day." The older woman said with what could be called a smile.

Amanda rode the elevator down to the floor that would take her to the busy bullpen swarming with agents. It was just a typical Monday for her except that she was carrying Lee's baby and he seemed okay with it. She sat her things down at the cubical across the room from Lee's desk and took out a legal pad of paper and pen so she could take his notes for him when Francine walked up and in that voice that raked Amanda's nerves and began a conversation.

"Amanda, I didn't know you were coming in today; not after what Lee said last night."

Amanda's eyes widened in surprised and trying to hide her emotions she said, "What did Lee tell you Francine?"

"Oh, come on Amanda we are both grownups here; I mean he blew off Jillian for it, why don't you tell me your side."

Feeling her blood pressure rise she stood up and said, "Well, if Lee told you then I guess nothing else needs to be said, except I will tell you this Francine Desmond it isn't your job to let anyone else know so I suggest you just leave your high priced nose out of this situation." Storming off from the blond with her mouth hung low Amanda went and found a phone and hoped she would catch Lee before he left for his meeting.

Hearing his machine pick up Amanda spoke quietly but firmly into the phone leaving a message that Lee would know in no uncertain terms that he overstepped his boundaries with their secret, his notes would be on his desk when he returned and he didn't have to break any more plans with Jillian so not to worry about coming to her house for dinner later.

Lee walked into his living room to get his keys and leave when he heard Amanda leaving her message and wondered what had happened and how did she know about Jillian. He knew he she was mad at him but he had no idea why; he hadn't told anyone about the baby, not even Billy.

Amanda sat taking notes for Lee when the conference door opened and Lee stepped in and took the only seat available next to Francine across from Amanda and he saw the hurt and anger in her eyes and wondered what was wrong. He may not know what it was he supposedly done but he was going to find out.

"Lee, I thought you were at the Capitol in a meeting."

"It was rescheduled for this afternoon, Billy." Lee was talking to Billy but his eyes never left Amanda.

Billy nodded and continued on with the meeting and noticed the tension between Lee and Amanda and the snarky smile on Francine's face. 'What did she do now' he thought to himself as the meeting ended. "Okay you have your assignments, report back in three days and Lee, Amanda, and Francine will you three please stay put."

When the room cleared Billy calmly said, "I don't know what it is with you three; but we are going to get it worked out and now. Now, Francine, I spoke with Amanda when she came in and she smiling and happy like nothing could get to her and then you spoke to her. Did you say anything to her?"

"Francine, I warned you to layoff; what did you do?" Lee spat out.

"Why were you talking to her about me anyway; if I remember when you left the house last night we agreed that we would tell people when it became necessary, but no the minute you leave you tell the first person you see." Amanda popped up.

Leaning across the table o lock eyes with Amanda Lee shouted, "I didn't tell her anything except to stop whining about you working here because you do a good job."

"Then why did she want my side of things from what you told her?" Amanda said raising her voice.

Francine thought it was time to come clean at that moment, "I was just trying to find out why he was at your house; he never said anything about anything. I was just being nosey."

Lee smiled at Amanda feeling like he just won the World Series; instead of a disagreement. "I told you I didn't say anything."

"Well, you are now. I told you if any tension between you two at work together I would split you up. If you don't want that then I suggest you consider me your confessor; Francine leave."

Amanda and Lee sat looking at one another until Lee said, "I thought you knew me better; why would I tell her anything?"

"Why wouldn't you? She is your friend." Amanda replied with embarrassment than anything else in her voice.

"One thing you still need to understand is that professionally or personal partners have each other's back; no matter what."

"Do you two want to clue me in on this?"

Lee looked to Amanda to follow her lead; he made her a promise that he wouldn't say anything until she was ready or if her life was in danger before he would say anything about the baby. "Amanda this is your call; I will support you in anyway."

"Sir at this time if I assure you that nothing like this will happen again can you just forget today and my actions?"

"Amanda I told you before you went to Florida that I knew how Lee could push people's buttons, don't deny it Scarecrow, but I will tell you that I know what happened in Florida and before you jump Lee didn't deny anything when I confronted him with it."

"No, Sir, I wouldn't think that he would and neither am I; I just over reacted to Francine and I just as Lee has told me I just need to ignore her and trust myself."

"He is right Amanda this is a hard business and dangerous, Francine fought her way to where she is and when she sees you excelling she thinks you didn't earn your stripes, but you have and still are, don't let her get to you. Now," he looked from one to the other "if we are finished with this can we get back to the job at hand."

Lee and Amanda just nodded and went out to their work areas as Lee began on his reports and Amanda began to type her notes for him. As she finished she walked over to Lee's desk and laid the notes on his desk; Lee covered her hand with his as she placed them down. She smiled at him and said, "I'm sorry, do you need any help with your reports?"

"Yes, Amanda if you have time. It is these two here and then I will be caught up. I can finish them tomorrow if you don't have time."

"I have time; when are they due?"

"Yesterday afternoon; I told you I came to ask you to help me yesterday and then well, you know."

Smiling she said, Well, since it is sort of my fault you didn't get them done; I will help you get them done."

"Thanks; I really do appreciate the help."

"Oh, I didn't say it was completely my fault." She picked up the reports and took her hand from him and then smiled and whispered to where only he could hear, "You can make it up to me tonight after dinner."

He raised his eyebrows and with a smirk on his face he said, "Really and what are you proposing, Mrs. King?"

"Well, Mr. Stetson, dishes do not wash themselves." She said as she walked off hearing him laugh.

Three weeks later Amanda walked into Billy's office to turn in a report and Billy stopped her gesturing for her to sit down; which she did. Waiting for him to finish his phone call he looked up and said, "Amanda, I have a courier assignment for you. I need you to go to Germany and deliver an envelope."

"When would I have to go?"

"In the morning; you will be gone about three days."

"Oh, okay, Sir what time do I leave?"

"Your plane leaves at six in the morning; is everything okay? I mean if you aren't available I can get someone else."

"No, sir, I can do it, I just have to make arrangements with my mother. Thank you, sir." Amanda stood to leave and then turned and asked, "Does Lee know about this?"

"Only if you tell him before he is done with his assignment; which you will be gone before he gets back any way. Are you sure you can do this?"

"Yes, it will be fine."

"Good come see me before you leave and I will have your travel tickets and your correspondence and your meeting information codes."

Amanda went straight to her desk called her mother to explain and said they would talk more at dinner. Next, she called and rescheduled her doctor's appointment for the following week and finally she wrote Lee a note and left if for him. She knew he had a long weekend planned but he said he would try to be back in time for her appointment; if he didn't have to worry about the appointment now then his weekend could start earlier. The next morning Amanda was on a flight to Munich as Lee's plane was landing in Dulles.

Lee arrived at the Agency and went straight to his debriefing then on into Billy's office. "Lee, are you ready for you long weekend?"

"More than ready; I was going to ask you if I could take today off; there is an appointment that I need to go to with Amanda."

Billy looked up at Lee and said, "What appointment?"

Lee not realizing what he had said fully out loud until Billy questioned him replied, "Oh, she said that she had an appointment today and asked if I would go with her so we could go to lunch afterward and then she could fill me in on what I have missed while being gone."

Billy didn't buy it but tried to hide his smile as he told Lee, "Well, I hope she rescheduled that appointment because if it is for today she is going to miss it; she left for Germany this morning and won't be back until for at least three days."

Lee jumped to his feet and said, "Are you crazy? Why is she going to Germany?"

"No, my psych evaluation came back fine, but I think you might have missed yours with the way you are acting. We have sent Amanda on courier assignments before; she'll be fine Lee."

"Billy you don't understand; hell it is Amanda we are talking about, anything could happen."

"As it could with any of you when you leave to go home at night; Lee it will be alright nothing is going to happen. Would you like to explain to me why some of her assignments lately have gotten you sent over the edge? She is your partner, not your wife. It isn't like she is pregnant; right Lee."

Lee gave Billy a sideway glance and halfhearted smile when he answered, "Now how in the world would I know that or not Billy?"

"Lee, is she?"

"That is classified information on the fact that Amanda is not here to let me know if I can declassify that file as of yet."

"Lee Stetson are you telling me that you and Amanda King are going to have a baby and I am now just hearing about it?"

"She said she would tell you if you tried to give her any assignment that might harm the baby; but she said most people wait until they are farther along to say anything."

"Lee, get to Germany; make sure nothing goes wrong with this assignment; get her home and then all three of us are going to have a long talk about when a Field Section Chief should be let in on the big news."

Lee went to stand up and before he made it to the door Billy said, "Hey, Lee, congratulations."

"Thanks, Billy."


	14. Moving Forward

********Just a little note to let you know I listened to the reviews and after going back over it I can see where it was rushed; that was not my intention so I have went back and rewritten and reworked this chapter. I hope it more apt an ending than the first one. I hope you enjoy and if you read the first ending; I hope you will read and review this ending as well. Thank you. ********

**MB Chapter 14**

Amanda sat in the gardens waiting for her contact and taking pictures like any regular tourist. Her contact was another female, blond hair, blue eyes, red dress and red hat. 'What is it with the agency and red hats' she thought to herself? After a few minutes, she saw her contact and picked up her purse and walked to the meet. Standing with her back to the woman Amanda rose her camera taking pictures and moved backward bumping into the woman; causing them to drop their purses and the contents spilling out.

"Oh my gosh; I am so sorry, let me help you with that. This is completely my fault I was trying to get a picture of that fountain over there and I couldn't get it in focus, but that is nothing new I have more pictures of my children with their poor little heads cut off."

The other woman laughed and said, "My how do they get around then if they have no heads?"

Amanda smiled at the woman and as she finished picking the items off the ground she handed the other woman the envelope and apologized again and walked away in the opposite direction. Amanda continued through the gardens taking pictures and when she started to sit she jumped as a pair of familiar hands wrapped around her.

"Don't do that, Lee. Why are you here?" This was her assignment and she did it without complications or problems; why was he sent to babysit her.

"I didn't mean to scare you; you just didn't hear me yell for you. I saw you make your meet, which was flawless by the way, and then I tried to catch up with you. How in the hell do you walk so fast in those things?" He said as he leaned in to kiss her and she pulled away.

"Amanda, is everything okay?" His voice was thick with concern.

"No everything is not okay; I was sent here to do a job that I thought I was going to be allowed to do without a babysitter and what do you know there you are. Not to mention all the other stuff that we have going on between us. Let's walk; we need to talk." Amanda took his hand and guided him through the beautiful gardens.

"We talk all the time, have I said or done something wrong?"

"Not that I know of, have you? I was just wondering what we are doing."

"We are walking through one of the most beautiful gardens in the world." He saw the look in her eyes and continued to explain, "Amanda, I know what you are asking please don't look like that. I am just trying to loosen the tension."

"Lee, I don't need the tension loosened; I need to know what is going on. I need to know what I am going to tell Philip, Jamie, and Joe."

"Joe? What in the hell does Joe have to do with us?"

"Us; is that what we are, an us, Lee?" She asked looking at him with her hands on her hips and giving him that one look that got to him every time; it was the one that every time he saw it he knew that she was mad but she also cared about what he was saying and feeling.

"Honestly, I don't know what we are Amanda. I know that I care for you; I know that I would care even if you weren't pregnant if that is what you are worried about. I know I like coming in through the front door and your mother's flowers are really starting to come back and looking great. I know that you already have two great boys that are smart and entertaining. I like that they like me and surprised I like them as much." He turned from her and ran his hand through his hair and turned back toward her and putting her on the spot he asked, "What do you think we are doing?"

"I don't know either." She said sitting on a bench. "I do know that I like being honest with Mother about work and not sneaking around my own house with you. I like that you seem to genially get along with the boys. I like that you and Mother get along so well. I like how you almost seem to fit but it also scares me."

"What scares you and what do you mean 'I almost fit'?"

"What am I to you?"

"You are my friend and the mother of my child!" He felt the vein in his neck pulsating beyond expectation. He cared so much for the woman sitting in front of him but he knew that as soon as he said it out loud that something would happen and she would be gone. He couldn't risk losing her; not now.

Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath Amanda calmly as possible said, "Then we need to make some rules and boundaries; so things aren't so mixed up. First of all, I want you to know that you can see the baby anytime you want or are available with your assignment rotation. Secondly,"

"Secondly there is no secondly. Are you telling me that I can be penciled into my child's life but I can't be in yours at all?"

"Lee, I can't do this roller coaster ride. You are always welcomed at the house and we will see each other at work but I don't think it is a good idea to continue to sleep together, considering we aren't really sleeping most of the time anyway."

"So let me get this completely correct; we can see each other at work and work together and I can still come over, after the baby is born, but we aren't having sex any longer. Is that what you are telling me, Amanda?"

She knew she couldn't say the words out loud because in her head it sounded better and different. "I just think that if the baby and sex is all we have then it should stop. Sex doesn't solve anything."

"No you are right; sex does not solve anything, but I will tell you this I am not going anywhere."

"Lee, don't you see, we are so different. I do little league and bake sales and you fly to Switzerland for a workout with a personal trainer. How are we going to raise a child together when we aren't together; I am already doing that?"

"How can we be together, Amanda, if you are setting rules in place that won't allow us to be together?"

Tears began to well in her eyes and he hated that more than anything. "Lee, what are we doing?"

Sitting next to her and placing his arms around her and wiping her tears away he whispered, "We are doing the best we can like anyone else in this world with what we have to work with. We may not have all the specifics worked out but we will. We are not in this alone, partner, we have each other. Give us a chance to figure it out before you throw in the towel; like I said before you are stuck with me Amanda King whether you like it or not."

Laughing she just smiled at him and stood up and they continued their walk where Lee informed her that Billy was now in on the secret and explained how it came to be and that was one of the reasons he was with her now. He admitted it was his fault and that when they got back to the states the two of them had a meeting with Billy.

"Good that makes two meetings I will be having about the baby; hopefully you could help me out with it. Mother said she would but I would really feel better if you were with me."

"What meeting do you have about the baby that wouldn't involve me; I mean I am the father."

"Lee when I get home I was going to tell the boys and since Joe will be in town, he usually stays at the house, and"

"What do you mean he usually stays at the house when he is in the country?" Lee ran his hand through his hair and said, "Our baby is no more his business than it is Francine's business."

"Lee, this baby affects his children that in turn will affect Joe; I have to tell him. Besides it isn't like I am going to hide it. I get really big when I am pregnant." Lee suddenly had an image of Amanda in front of him with her belly big and round with his child. He stopped in his tracks and it hit him; he was really going to be a father and have a child that depended on him and would need him. This tiny baby would need him; him Lee Stetson, the Scarecrow.

"Lee, are you okay? You got this funny look on your face just now," concern growing in her voice as she spoke to him. Taking a deep breath Lee said, "Amanda, I am going to be just fine; we are going to be just fine. Let's go and get some dinner. Oh, and I know you said no sex but can I share your room?"

"Yes, I think that would be fine and dinner sounds wonderful."

Three days later the pair was back in DC sitting in the office of Billy Melrose and without him saying a word Amanda spoke first, "Sir, I just want you to know that Lee wanted to tell you the day we found out but I made him keep quiet. That is what that big fight about a month ago was about; I thought he had told Francine after we had decided to wait longer because you know being a father yourself that a miscarriage can happen for no reason at all and then with the line of work we are in it only increases the odds; Lee has been a wreak this whole time and I know he is glad you know now because you are going to make me stay in the office and not out in the field but that concerns me because I don't think Lee should be out there either; what if something happens to him then this baby is without a father."

"How do you do that?" Lee asked.

"What?" Amanda asked curiously.

"Give so many details in one breath. Our child needs oxygen, breath more when you talk please." Slapping him on the arm and laughing, Billy watched the two and knew that this baby was a bigger blessing than either of his agents knew. If it weren't for this baby he didn't know if they would even realize how much they loved one another; not that they were ready to say it, but they showed it more than they thought. Clearing his throat he said, "Yes, Amanda, I understand your concern but unfortunately Lee will still be in the field until closer to your due date. Now on to my next order of business; how do you plan on handling this situation?"

"Sir, I know that I will start to show in a few months but I really don't want to make a big deal out of it."

"Amanda, I respect that but I have a feeling that it might make for departmental gossip and I don't want that on you."

Smiling she said, "Thank you, but really it will be fine, women have babies all the time."

"Well then I will leave it at this if anyone and that includes the father of the baby gives you too much trouble or any problems promise me you will come to me immediately and let me handle it."

"Yes, sir I will and thank you."

Leaving his office the two went to their desks and began their day. An hour later Lee came over to Amanda and told her he would be by that night to help with telling the boys and Joe like he said he would. She had made a point that he and Joe would have to meet and know one another at some point why not now.

"Where are you headed?"

"A tip, need to know, sorry."

"Okay, Lee, be safe." She said wishing she could go with him.

Smiling that smile that melted her heart and winking at her he said, "I will see you later."

Amanda got home to find Dotty and Joe sitting at the kitchen table having some tea and talking.

"Hello, sweetheart, when did you get in?" She welcomed Joe with a big hug and a quick peck on the cheek.

"My plane landed this morning but I had to go straight to the office and do a few things first. How was your day? Dotty said you work for a film company that makes documentaries, which must be exciting."

"Yes, it is very exciting unfortunately today as well as the next few months will just be a lot of paperwork. The boys should be home soon, I am just going to go and change clothes and then we will start on dinner."

"Oh, I was going to take you and the boys out to dinner tonight." Joe said.

Amanda looked at her mother and then back to Joe and said, "Joe that sounds great but I invited someone to come and have dinner with us; I really wanted him to get a chance to meet you while you are in, I mean who knows when you will be in again."

This comment took Joe by surprise since last he knew she had broken up with the weatherman maybe he just misunderstood, "Well then bring him along, does it really matter where we have dinner?"

"No, I just want you to be aware that this man is very important to me and I want him to understand that you are just as important to me; I want, no need, you two to able to get along. Do you understand what I am telling you?"

Joe knew exactly what she was telling him; she loved this man and in her own way wanted his approval from him. Joe thought how threatening can a weatherman be. The boys had told him he was about as exciting as paint drying. "Amanda I will be on my best behavior." Just then Joe heard the front door opening and the boys running in and a man voice talking to them.

"Maybe if your mom and dad say it is okay, but I can only have one of you two at a time okay fellas." Lee was saying and both boys seemed ecstatic about whatever proposal Lee had in store for them and then they saw their dad standing in the kitchen and ran over and hugged him almost knocking Joe over.

"Fellas," Amanda screamed over their voices, "let your dad breath. He will be here all week." When the boys calmed down Joe noticed the tall man standing next to Amanda and he thought to himself that this man didn't look like any weatherman he had ever seen in his entire life.

"Joe, this is Lee Stetson; Lee this is Joe King, my ex-husband."

The two men stood silently evaluating each other then they held out their hand to one another to shake and Lee said, "It is a pleasure to finally meet you; these two talk about you all the time and all the work you do."

"Really, I didn't realize being a lawyer was that exciting." Joe said looking at his children and ruffling their hair.

"I don't think it is your profession they love talking about so much. They are very proud of you."

"So, Lee what is it that you do?" Joe asked.

"Uh, fellas why don't we go get changed and ready for dinner your dad wants to take us all out." Lee gave a quizzical look and she just nodded and said, "Yes, you are welcome to come also."

The three left the room and Lee said, "Dotty don't you need to get ready too?"

"Not until all of you are done; I have plans for tonight. Besides I wanted to make sure you two behaved yourself."

"What is that supposed to mean?" The two men said in unison surprising the other man in the room.

"I rest my case, gentlemen."

The three fell into an easy conversation with one another and Lee found himself genuinely liking the other man despite his best effort to hate the man that chooses another continent over Amanda and the boys. How could any man not want them in their life? He stopped that train of thought since Amanda still refused to let him get any closer to her.

Philip and Amanda came down at that moment and after a few more moments Jamie joined the rest of them when Amanda suggested that Joe take the boys in her station wagon and Lee and her would follow them to the restaurant. Joe was in agreement and walked right to where he knew she kept the keys and the five left to go have dinner and the biggest family meeting of their lives; only that Amanda and Lee were the only ones that knew that.

At the restaurant when everyone was seated and dinner was order Amanda said, "I have some news for you three and I think we need to talk about it."

"Are you and Lee getting married?" Jamie asked.

"No, sweetheart, Lee and I aren't getting married but Lee is going to be around a lot more."

"Is Lee moving in?" Philip asked and then said, "My friends Peter and Jacob dad's moved his girlfriend in."

"No, Lee isn't moving in, the reason Lee will be hanging around is because I am going to have a baby and Lee is the father." Amanda saw the reaction of everyone at the table but it was the reaction of the two boys that interested her the most at the moment.

Jamie said sadly, "That means I am going to be a middle child."

"It means that you will get to be an older brother, like Philip." She explained hoping that would make it sound better.

"How did this happen?" Joe asked and Amanda raised her eyebrow at him and asked, "You don't know the answer to that?"

"Don't worry, Dad, I can tell you later, Mom explained all about that to us last month." Philip chimed in.

Lee and Amanda both choked on their water laughing at Philip's casual statement which in turn got both boys laughing and finally Joe said through his own laughter, "Thanks, son, I can't wait to find out after all this time, you see your mom never explained it to me when we were married."

"Did you ask like Philip did? I am sure she would have told you." Jamie said joining the jovial conversation.

"Fellas, that is enough; stop teasing your dad, he knows where babies come from; we all do."

"Yeah; Mom I thought you said that people wait to have babies after they are married." She knew it would be Jamie to bring up that little fact.

"Jamie, honey, what I said was that it is always best to wait until you are married before you have a baby, unfortunately that isn't always the case, like with Lee and me."

Philip asked as the waitress was bring out their salads, "Lee, are you and my mom in love? She said that when people have sex it is because they love one another and that is one way that adults show that they love each other. So, do you two love each other?" The waitress smiled at the man loosening his tie before he answered the young boy's question.

Lee sat and took a drink of his wine and calmly as he could he said, "I can't speak for Amanda, but I know for a fact that I care very deeply for her. Not to mention, I think the three of us guys have a pretty good friendship going on and I hope that doesn't change."

Jamie looked at his father who was sitting and listening to the conversation and not saying anything about what was going on, "Dad, you are still going to visit us right? You aren't going to stop."

"No, why would I stop? I love you two boys so much. I will be here as much as I can like always and when I am not here you have your mom still to help you out with things."

"Are you mad at Mom? You aren't saying anything?"

"Philip, I am surprised not mad. Your Mom is a grown woman and the best mother in the world."

The rest of dinner was filled with questions with the boys trying to get caught up with Joe, Joe answering as fast as he could with their rapid fire questions. It seemed like everything was going okay when Amanda stood to leave she made eye contact with a petite blond woman sitting with her date at the next table. She was locked onto the blue eyes that smiled smugly with a hint of pity on her face. Amanda pulled Lee close whispering in his ear and pointing in her direction and he looked over then went to the table.

"Francine, how are you? Can I speak to you?" He said ands pointed in the direction to follow him.

"Sure, Lee; excuse me for a moment," Francine said to her date and followed Lee toward the bathroom and when he turned she said, "What game are you playing Scarecrow?"

"There is no game."

"No game; right tell me another one, why are you here with Amanda and what was that I heard about her being pregnant? Are you sure it is yours?"

"Yes, I am sure and I am here to support her as she told them about the baby. Now I better not hear one damn thing around the office about this or I will know exactly where it came from. Do I make myself perfectly clear on this subject; Billy already knows and that is all that needs to know."

"Lee I just can't believe all this, you and her?"

"What is wrong with her?"

"Well, for starters she isn't really your type now is she?"

"What is my type?"

"Not her I can tell you that much."

"Then you don't know me as well as you thought, my friend. Now remember not one word." Lee walked off and rejoined the group telling Amanda without words that he handled everything.

Back at the house the boys got ready for bed and asked if Joe was still planning on staying at the house with them that week; he told them as far as he knew he didn't have any other plans. Joe told the boys to finish getting ready and then he would be up to tell them goodnight. They walked over and kissed Amanda and as they walked by Lee they each held out a hand to him to shake it and let Lee know it was okay about the baby.

"Thanks, fellas; I'll see you in a few days, I have to be out of town for work and then we will go for that ride if your parents say it is okay. Have fun with your Dad this week." Lee said and the boys lit up at the possibility of riding in Lee's car.

Joe came down the stairs after tucking the boys in and saw Lee and Amanda in what looked like a private conversation; clearing his throat to let them know he was back they turned and smiled. Joe walked over to Amanda putting his arms around her he said, "Are you doing okay?" Amanda smiled and said, "Yes, I may be speaking early but I haven't had any of the problems that I had with the boys."

"What problems did you have with the boys?" Lee asked.

"I had some scares that I might not be able to carry them, but they hung in there. Jamie was the worst of the two, I almost did lose him and I was on bed rest for about what was it Joe, the last three months."

"I think it was just the last two but it probably just felt like three." He let her go and sat at the table and then he started with some of his questions, "So how long have you been seeing each other?"

"Almost every day since we met, we work together." Amanda said.

"Amanda, I didn't mean it that way and I think you know that."

"We really didn't set out to start seeing each other and we really aren't now, Joe. Lee and I were on an assignment in Florida and well call it the beach air; we just well you know. We came back to work and then we found out I was pregnant and I wanted to wait to make sure everything was going along okay and since it has been without problems; we decided to tell our boss, you, and the boys. I wanted to tell you because you are the boy's father and what affects them affects you; not to mention I really won't be able to hide much longer."

"Does Dotty know? Have you two continued on since coming back from Florida? Do you stay over with the boys here? How do you two feel about each other?" Amanda just stared at her ex-husband and was speechless. Lee broke in to the conversation saying, "Yes, Dotty does know, I don't think that if Amanda and I have continued on since coming back from Florida is any of your business, no we have never done anything in this house with your children here, and how we feel about us is between us not anyone else; especially you."

"Like she said what affects my sons affects me. I don't want them confused about how relationships really work." Joe said defensively.

"Oh, you mean like walking out and helping families in need only to ignore the needs of your wife and children."

"Lee," Amanda said placing her hand on his arm and forcing him to look at her, "let it go."

"Speaking of going I need to go home and pack for my trip for work. I will call and check on you and everyone while I am gone. Joe, I'll see you if you are still in town when I come back; Amanda will you walk me out?"

Nodding she said, "Joe, I'll be back in a few moments."

At the car Lee pulled her close and said, "Where does he sleep when he stays at the house?"

"The pull out in the den; where did you think he slept?" She looked up at him with a smile in her eyes.

"I don't know but I know where I don't want him sleeping." He leaned in not giving her a chance to pull away from him and kissed her deeply; she didn't pull away and responded in kind to his assault of her senses.

"Lee, you shouldn't kiss me like that; it just makes me want to tear off your clothes and ravish your body."

"Now she tells me when I am about to get on a plane to England. I will see you in a few days." Rubbing his hands over her abdomen he leaned down and whispered, "Take care of Mommy; Daddy loves you." Without waiting for her response he got in his car and drove off leaving her standing and wondering what had just happened.

Amanda went back into the house and found Joe had been watching from the living room window. "Why are you spying on me?"

Joe looked at her and said, "I wasn't really spying. I am just concerned about this whole situation. I just don't want you to get burned Amanda."

Amanda turned on him faster than Lee turned corners in his car, "Burn me? You are worried about me being burned? I really don't think that a man who lit the first fire and toughened my skin can say anything about it." She went up the stairs, took a shower, and got ready for bed then dialed Lee's number, "Stetson." He answered.

"What time does your flight leave?"

"Ten in the morning, why?"

"Won't you need me to help with paperwork and then I don't have to deal with Francine and Joe in the same week that you are gone."

Smiling he said, "Francine will not be a problem; I already have Billy on high alert with her and I will only be gone about three days so I can handle Joe when I get back. What did he said to you when you came back in?"

"He said he is concerned that you are going to burn me."

Lee closed his eyes and pictured Amanda placing her hand on him to calm him and said, "He should know a little something about that. Do you think I am going to jump ship and run?"

"No, not anymore, you have proven that you are going to be here for your child as much as your job allows, just like Joe."

"The difference is I am only a few minutes away and at a moment's notice will be by your side and our child and his for that matter, not thousands miles away."

Tears rolled down her face because she knew he was telling the truth and she did something she never thought she would be able to do, "I love you, Lee Stetson, more than you will ever know."

"I know more than you think Amanda King, I love you too. Get some sleep we will talk about this when I get home in a few days."

The days past quickly as Amanda avoided Joe by coming in early and avoiding Francine with the help of Billy having her run all over DC and back. He had her out of the office so much that Amanda got four agents reports up to date and began to start on all of Lee's most recent cases; including the one that he was out of town for right before he had come to Germany. Amanda had heard of class D interrogations before she just had never read one yet. She could now see why Lee had the reputation he had; his interrogation was a better read than one of her mother's romance novels.

Lee came in right before Amanda was getting ready to leave for the day but not before Francine finally had caught up with her. "Amanda, I know you saw me earlier this week at the restaurant when you were there with your family and Lee, but the things I heard had to be some kind of prank on Lee, right? You and your ex and kids planned on making a joke."

"No, the other night was no joke. Whatever you over heard is true. What did you hear?"

"That you and Lee are, well, um."

"That she and I are what?" Lee said walking up behind her and then walking to Amanda he placed a protective arm around her waist and bent to give her a kiss. This got more than Francine's attention in the bullpen. "If anyone else has anything else to say, I suggest you don't."

"Yes, I am having a baby and Lee is the father; you heard correctly."

Lee followed Amanda home and had dinner with Dotty, the boys, and Joe. "How much longer before you have to go back, Joe?" Lee asked.

"I head back on Sunday afternoon. I still have a few days left with the boys and Amanda said it would be okay if they missed a couple days of school to be with me and my family."

"Lee, we also talked it over with Mom and Dad and they both said it was okay if you took us for a ride in your car."

"I think can be arranged if I don't have anything going on Sunday then I think we could do that when you are done with visiting your family."

Dotty and Amanda started to clear the table while Lee and Joe went outside with the two boys. The four of them were playing catch when Lee said, "Joe, boys, I want to talk to you about something. Philip you asked me the other night if I loved your mother and even though I knew the answer then I didn't say it because I wasn't sure how your mother felt. I want you to know that I do love your mother and if it is okay with you two boys I want to ask your mom to marry me."

Philip and Jamie looked at their dad and then back at Lee and then Philip pulled his brother over away from the two older men. "Jamie what do you think?"

"I don't know, I mean Lee is nice and all and he seem to make mom happy when he is around but what about Dad?"

"What about him? Lee didn't ask to marry Dad he asked to marry Mom. Now I think it would be fine, I just want to know what you think."

"I want mom to be happy, so if Lee asks her and it makes her happy then I am all for it. I think she would say yes though."

"Yeah but I have one question for Lee." Philip said as they walked back to the two men standing by the picnic table. "Lee, I have one question, do you want to marry mom for mom or the baby?"

Lee looked from one boy to another and knew that he had to get this right, he knew that right in this moment would decide how an eight year old and an eleven year old would view him. "I will be honest; if it weren't for the baby then I would still be running around and running from love. I have cared for your mother since the day I met her. While we were in Florida working I really got to know her better and that made me realize that I wanted to be around her more and more. When we got back from our trip I was busy on other assignments and wasn't able to talk to your mom about us. The day we found out about the baby was the day I met you two. The baby is only one of the many reasons I want to marry your mom; your mom is the main reason I want to marry her. I just want to know that you will be okay with it, because then I would be around all the time not just more because of the baby."

Jamie was the first to answer, "As long as you love her and promise to never leave her then I am okay with it." Jamie looked at his father and Joe knew the meaning behind his son's words and he knew he deserved them.

"I'm not going anywhere; I will be here." Lee said and then he looked at Philip and asked, "So do you give your approval because I kind of wanted to ask her tonight."

"Yeah, I'm okay with it."

Lee left the backyard and went into the kitchen and said, "Uh, Amanda, I really need to talk to you can I borrow you for a minute?"

"Lee, we are almost done loading the washer can it wait a minute?" By the time she was done saying the sentence she was done and had the washer going.

"Okay you have my attention, what can I do for you?"

Amanda noticed that Lee had pulled something out of his pocket and then when he dropped to one knee in front of her he said, "I know I have a tendency to close myself off from my emotions and trust me I have tried to bury this one because I was terrified of losing you, but a good friend once told me you can only do your best and hope for a better outcome. With that being said, Amanda King I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you hoping my best will be good enough; will you marry me?"

Amanda stared from the ring in his hand to the man holding it and with tears in her eyes she said, "Is this just because of the baby?" Shaking his head no she found herself crying and pulling him up into her arms as she repeated the word yes over and over and kissing him in between every word.

A few months after they wed, Amanda was taking some paperwork into the office that Lee had forgotten to take with him; which she reminded him as he began to yell at her for being out and about with the wet winter weather. "What were you thinking?"

"I'll tell you what I was thinking; I was thinking that you forgot them for the third day in a row and to let you know that if Billy doesn't get them today then…Ouch." Amanda said as she grabbed her stomach and leaned forward on his desk.

"What is wrong?" Lee said with deep concern in his voice for his wife.

"Nothing the baby is just coming; I have been having contractions for the last two days on and off."

"What in the hell do you mean you have been having contractions for two days? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wasn't ready so there was really no need to…" Amanda couldn't finish her sentence while another contraction hit her full force.

Billy and Francine walked by at that moment and noticed Lee's face and knew that Lee didn't know what to do. "Lee, take her to the hospital because I am not having a baby born in this office."

Lee took her and got her to the car as Billy and Francine followed them after calling Dotty to let her know that Amanda was in labor. The nurses took Amanda and handed Lee paperwork that he had no idea how to answer and continued to try and find Amanda, "I need to be with her." A few minutes later a nurse came and found Lee and took him back and got him ready for delivery, "This baby is in a hurry, Mr. Stetson, we need to get you in there." Walking in to the delivery room Lee grab Amanda by the hand and said, "'I'm here, Amanda; I'm right here."

It seemed like no time at all from entering the room that Lee heard the cries of his first born child. "It's a girl, Amanda and Lee." The next sound was pure joy as he heard his daughter cry for the first time. "A girl, Amanda, we have a baby girl."

"Congratulations Daddy." Amanda said as she kissed his hand and then the doctor placed the baby on Amanda's chest for them both to see before they went and carried her away. Lee leaned over and kissed both mother and baby, "I love you both so much." He managed to say through his tears.

Amanda stopped by the Agency after her six week check-up to turn in her return to work papers to Billy and find out if the Agency would release her to work with Lee again or if she was going to remain in the office. "Amanda, I have no problem releasing you to your normal duties now that the doctor has. So as it stands now you will still be a civilian clerical worker unless of course I need you to keep your hot headed husband under control."

"Yes, Sir. Sir, I was wondering if it would be possible to reevaluate me for training classes."

"I would love to recommend you but they just closed the current class and I can't make any new recommendations until the new class opens; which I don't know when that will be. I will keep you informed though."

"Thank you, Sir. When would you like me to report back to work?"

"Next Monday will be fine. Lee should be back in town by then but you already know that." Saying her goodbyes she left Billy's office only to run into Francine.

"Amanda dear shouldn't you be home breast feeding or something?"

"I just came in to turn my paperwork in so I can return to work Francine."

"Return to work, why would you do that?"

"I still have bills to pay and I like my job and I think I do a damn good job at it. So why don't you just keep your comments to yourself." Getting on the elevator Amanda left the blond standing and staring with her mouth hung open.

It was late when Lee made his way into the dark house and walking as quietly as he could into his newborn daughter's room to check on her only to find her lying wide awake and sucking her thumb. "What are you doing awake, Princess? Were you waiting on me to get home?" Lee checked to make sure she had a dry diaper and then picked her up in his arms.

"Daddy missed you and your brothers while he was gone. He missed Mommy too. Don't tell Mommy but I almost didn't make it home this time. You see…" He started telling his daughter all about his latest adventure. "See, I can tell you these things now because you can't tell Mommy about them and then Daddy doesn't get in trouble." Noticing she was asleep Lee continued to rock her a few more minutes before laying her down in her crib again and then checking on the boys as he made his way to his and Amanda's room. He found his wife sitting up and reading a magazine when he walked in and then he heard the sounds of his daughter's mobile in his room.

"You know Scarecrow, if you don't want Mommy to know what happens don't tell the kid with the monitor in her room to where I can hear all about it. I am glad your home, I missed you."

"I missed you too. I'm okay; really I am." He came over and leaned in to kiss her and she pulled him into her embrace as he winced in pain she noticed his ribs were taped. "You're okay huh?" She said laughing at him as he slowly undressed and then as he got back I bed he whispered on her neck, "I am better than okay, Mrs. Stetson, let me show you all the ways that I am okay."

Amanda and Lee returned to work and as time went on their partnership became almost infallible. Amanda began training when a new class opened just as Billy said. Her trainers were impressed by the knowledge she brought with her; not with just her experience in the field but just the way she broke down cases and solved them.

It seemed that life in the Stetson/King household was moving along in a positive way as well. The boys were young enough when Lee and Amanda got married that the adjustment wasn't as hard Lee felt if the boys had been older. Both boys loved their baby sister and gave her whatever she wanted; when they knew they wouldn't get caught. Amanda had come home one day and told the boys that she had some news and she wanted their help to tell Lee. Each boy was set to a task as Amanda got her daughter ready for when Lee came home.

Lee walked in to see that dinner was on the table and everyone was waiting on him. "Sorry I was running late, editing took longer than I thought it would." Giving Amanda a knowing look that she knew meant his debriefing of his case. "Amanda this looks incredible."

"Thanks the boys help with the potatoes and carrots." Hoping he would notice the kind they were and catch on to her theme of the night. Both boys just sat smiling and watching Lee for any reaction.

"It looks great fellas, can we eat or are we waiting for your mother?"

Amanda looked at the boys and shrugged but then she said, "We can eat but can you put on Jennie's bib for me please?"

"Sure." Lee picked it up and noticed Jennie's shirt she was wearing, it was new and he hadn't seen it before and then the words "BIG SISTER" hit him like a brick. "Amanda, are you pregnant again?"

"Yes, and Billy knows that is why editing took so long, we needed to get a few things ready for you. I am already off the duty roster for field assignments with you."

Lee kissed her and said, "I am so happy."

Seven months later Lee walked into his bedroom and found what he was looking for, "What are you doing?" He asked at finding his daughter sitting at her mother's vanity table and playing in her jewelry box.

"Nuffin, Daddy." She said with that trademark Stetson smile that mimicked his own; laughing he said, "Come on, Princess, Mommy and your brothers are at the hospital waiting for us to come and get them and bring your baby sister home."

THE END


End file.
